Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an Ameri… Read Full Bio ↴Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American hard bop pianist. An underappreciated jazz artist during his time, Clark's work has become much more widely known after his death. Strongly influenced by Bud Powell, Clark is known for his unique touch, sense of melody and complex, hard-swinging style.

As a band leader, it's Clark's albums Sonny Clark Trio (1957), with Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, and Cool Struttin' (1958), that are often considered his masterpieces. Sonny Clark Trio (1960) with George Duvivier and Max Roach is also considered among his finest. Although his compositions were relatively rare, the few that were recorded have achieved a cult following, most notably among Japanese jazz enthusiasts. A drug addict, Clark died of a heroin overdose in New York City.

I Didn't Know What Time It Was
Sonny Clark Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Once I was young
Yesterday, perhaps
Danced with Jim and Paul
And kissed some other chaps

Once I was young
But never was naive
I thought I had a trick or two

Up my imaginary sleeve
And now I know I was naive

I didn't know what time it was
Then I met you
Oh, what a lovely time it was
How sublime it was too

I didn't know what day it was
You held my hand
Warm like the month of May it was
And I'll say it was grand

Grand to be alive, to be young
To be mad, to be yours alone
Grand to see your face, feel your touch
Hear your voice say, "I'm all your own"

I didn't know what year it was
Life was no prize
I wanted love and here it was
Shining out of your eyes
I'm wise and I know what time it is now

Grand to be alive, to be young
To be mad, to be yours alone
Grand to see your face, feel your touch
Hear your voice say, "I'm all your own"

I didn't know what year it was
Life was no prize
I wanted love and here it was

Shining out of your eyes
I'm wise and I know what time it is now

Overall Meaning

The song "I Didn't Know What Time it Was" tells the story of someone who used to be young and carefree, dancing with Jim and Paul and kissing other chaps, but never naive. They thought they had tricks up their sleeve but now realize they were naive. Then they met someone special and had a lovely, sublime time with them. The person they met made them feel alive, young, and madly in love. They didn't know what year it was before they met this person and life didn't feel like a prize, but now they have found love shining out of their eyes and they feel wise and in tune with the current time.

The song is about youthful exuberance and the transformative power of falling in love. It's about someone who thought they had everything figured out but then realized they actually didn't know anything at all until they found love. It's also about the passage of time and how it can change your perspective on things.

Line by Line Meaning

Once I was young
In the past, I was in my youth

Yesterday, perhaps
It could have been yesterday or some time ago

Danced with Jim and Paul
I danced with friends named Jim and Paul

And kissed some other chaps
I kissed some other men

But never was naive
Despite my youth, I was not unaware of things

I thought I had a trick or two
I believed I had some cunning and strategies

Up my imaginary sleeve
That I had imaginary tricks and solutions

And now I know I was naive
As time passed, I have learned that I was indeed naive

I didn't know what time it was
I was unaware of the time and situation I was in

Then I met you
But everything changed when I met you

Oh, what a lovely time it was
It was a wonderful period of my life