They began as Sharks as early as 1979 when high school friends Richard Black (considered to be the man from whom Guns N' Roses' front man Axl Rose stole most of his stage moves!) and Spencer Sercombe joined forces. The lineup for the Sharks changed regularly, with vocalist Black and guitarist Sercombe being the only staples. The Sharks released an independent album called Altar Ego in 1982.
By 1985 the Sharks had developed into Shark Island with a line-up of Michael Guy (guitar), Tom Rucci (bass) and Walt Woodward (drums). The band released an album of demos independently before being signed to Epic records. Shortly after, they had two songs included on the Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure soundtrack. In 1990 the band went from a five-piece down to four, when Black and Sercombe recruited a new band of Chris Heilmann (bass) and Greg Ellis (drums). The band were ready to set the world on fire with their first major label album, Law Of The Order. It contained killer singles such as "Paris Calling" and "Bad For Each Other", but went completely unnoticed by the record buying public.
In 1991 Black and Sercombe joined the one-off super group Contraband before heading back to Shark Island. New songs were recorded in 1992, but never released, and the band just faded away. Sercombe ended up joining the Riverdogs with Vivian Campbell (ex of Dio and now Def Leppard fame), and Heilmann played with Quireboys vocalist Spike in Spike's Soul Thing and Black worked with Jake E. Lee in the short-lived Bourgeois Pigs. In 2005 the band reunited with new drummer Glen Sobel and re-recorded some of their unreleased songs for the Gathering Of The Faithful album. In 2019, another album, Bloodline was released as well as a live album, Day Of The Dead: Alive in Zagreb.
Father Time
Shark Island Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A modern day
A day to change your life
Make it new and bright
But bitterness abounds
By people all around
They bring him down like the rain
Tie him down, ball and chain
Hard time on the rail road line
Like a waste case that's out of place
Hear the church bell chime
In the middle of your mind
It's a broken toy
That he's cherished all his life
And built his shrine with the help of Father Time
It's a winding road
A heavy load
A home away from home
A place to roam
It's a fractured brain of consequences
A host, another vow
It's a different point of view
When the old man points and shows him what to do
The lyrics in Shark Island's song Father Time describe the struggle of a man facing bitterness and negativity from those around him during a holiday that is meant to bring change and brightness to his life. The person is tied down with a ball and chain, reflecting their feelings of being trapped and held back. The song shifts its narrative to describe the person's life as a "hard time on the rail road line" like a "waste case that's out of place." The church bell chimes in the middle of their mind, reflecting the religious ideals that may be influencing their thoughts and actions.
The song's chorus describes the person's obsession with a broken toy that has been cherished all their life and built into a shrine with the help of Father Time. This reflects the idea that their past experiences and traumas have shaped who they are and the values they hold. The winding road and heavy load represent the difficulties that arise navigating life and the brokenness that comes with it. The person has a fractured brain of consequences, suggesting that their past actions have led to negative outcomes and their struggle to make sense of it all. The old man pointing and showing him what to do represents the desire for guidance and direction in life.
Overall, Father Time is a reflective song that touches on the struggles many people face in their quest for personal growth and change. The lyrics are full of metaphors and imagery, describing the inner turmoil that arises from facing demons of the past and trying to move forward in life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's holiday
A day of celebration and relaxation
A modern day
A contemporary era
A day to change your life
An opportunity to make a transformative change
Make it new and bright
To start afresh with positivity and enthusiasm
But bitterness abounds
However, negativity and resentment are prevalent
By people all around
Other individuals contribute to this negative environment
They bring him down like the rain
They continuously criticize and dampen his spirits
Tie him down, ball and chain
They restrict his freedom and creativity
Hard time on the rail road line
Life is challenging and full of obstacles
Like a waste case that's out of place
He feels lost and disconnected
Hear the church bell chime
The sound of a church bell ringing
In the middle of your mind
A mental or spiritual experience
It's a broken toy
He feels damaged and incomplete
That he's cherished all his life
Despite its flaws, it holds importance to him
And built his shrine with the help of Father Time
He has crafted a place of worship and reflection over time
It's a winding road
Life is a path with many twists and turns
A heavy load
It can be a weighty burden to bear
A home away from home
A place of comfort and familiarity amidst change
A place to roam
A place of freedom and exploration
It's a fractured brain of consequences
The mind can be a disordered and unpredictable thing
A host, another vow
He has made another commitment, perhaps to himself
It's a different point of view
He is seeing something in a new light
When the old man points and shows him what to do
An older and wiser figure is guiding him
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD MIRKO CZERNY, SPENCER SERCOMBE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paulf8224
Father Time takes me back in time to 1989!!! ππΈ Excellent dudes!!!
@johngonzalez4298
Party on, dudes!
@MoBench25
Great song.....I still listen to it in 2019.
@Nitro1000
2021
@HEAVYMETALmovie1981
2022 for me here π
@johngonzalez4298
2023 here
@DeaDGoD_XIV
2024 checking in, this song is still as good as ever
@Abortox
Shark Island was the only band cool enough to have not one but TWO songs on the soundtrack! This song was during the time travel montage, and the other one was during the "it's your mom!" bedroom scene...... Party on dudes!
@keithboddy
Actually this song was the booth reveal scene (crystal thing transforms). Rufus gets in it and goes back to see the boys - first effects scene of it working. 'It is time.' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KtF4mX7rpU LOVE this scene - this song makes it!
@alpha_wolf220
'be excellent to each other, and PARTY ON DUDES!'
-abraham lincoln