Time Enough for Rocking When We
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


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There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old
We can rock all day in rocking chairs of gold but tonight
I think I'd rather just go dancing

There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old, my love
There'll be time enough for talk in the nursing home
Darling, time enough to write an epic poem but tonight
I think I'd rather just go dancing
There'll be time enough for talking in the home, my love
There'll be time enough for sleeping when we're dead

You will have a velvet pillow for your head but tonight
I think I'd rather just go dancing
There'll be time enough for sleeping when we're dead, my love

There'll be time for sex and drugs in Heaven
When our pheromones are turned up to 11
But tonight I think I'd rather just go dancing





There'll be time enough for sex and drugs in Heaven, my love
And time enough for rocking when we're old

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields's song Time Enough for Rocking When We're Old conveys the message that we should seize the moment and enjoy life to the fullest while we still can. The lyrics suggest that there'll be a time for everything, but tonight is the night to dance. The lyrics seem to be addressed to a lover, urging them to embrace life and enjoy it to the fullest.


The opening lines "There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old" suggest that there's no need to rush life, and that there is a time for everything. The lyrics "We can rock all day in rocking chairs of gold" convey the idea of enjoying the simple things in life when you're old. In contrast, the singer emphasizes that tonight, they would rather go dancing and enjoy the moment.


The lyrics go on to suggest that there's time for other things in life, such as talking, writing, sleeping, sex, and drugs, but the message seems to be that there's never enough time to truly enjoy life. The overall theme of the song is to embrace the moment and enjoy life while you can, for there will always be time for sleeping, rocking, and talking in the future.


Line by Line Meaning

There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old
We shouldn't waste our youth on rocking when we have so many other things to do now


We can rock all day in rocking chairs of gold but tonight
Even though we could literally rock on golden chairs all day, let's do something more exciting right now


I think I'd rather just go dancing
I want to live in the moment and have fun while I'm young


There'll be time enough for talk in the nursing home
We can have long conversations and catch up when we're older and settled in a nursing home


Darling, time enough to write an epic poem but tonight
We have the rest of our lives to write a masterpiece. Tonight, let's live a little


There'll be time enough for talking in the home, my love
We'll have lots of time to talk and reminisce when we're old and retired


There'll be time enough for sleeping when we're dead
Let's not waste our precious time on earth sleeping


You will have a velvet pillow for your head but tonight
When we're old, we'll be comfortable and have everything we need. For now, let's enjoy the moment


There'll be time for sex and drugs in Heaven
When we're gone, there will be plenty of time to indulge in pleasures beyond what we're capable of experiencing now


When our pheromones are turned up to 11
In Heaven, our senses will be heightened to experience everything even more intensely


And time enough for rocking when we're old
We don't have to worry about missing out on rocking, we'll have plenty of time for it when we're old




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

TitusPazmany

There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old We can rock all day in
rocking chairs of gold but tonight I think I'd rather just go dancing
There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old, my love There'll be time
enough for talk in the nursing home Darling, time enough to write an epic
poem but tonight I think I'd rather just go dancing There'll be time enough
for talking in the home, my love There'll be time enough for sleeping when
we're dead You will have a velvet pillow for your head but tonight I think
I'd rather just go dancing There'll be time enough for sleeping when we're
dead, my love There'll be time for sex and drugs in Heaven when our
pheromones are turned up to 11 but tonight I think I'd rather just go
dancing There'll be time enough for sex and drugs in Heaven, my love and
time enough for rocking when we're old



All comments from YouTube:

randomuser2501

As the evening of every friday approaches, I often remind my wife of this song, or viceversa, and convince each other to go out. It has been working for us since the day we met, in every city we lived, with any money, any music, and any weather. Our wallets, our livers, our sprained ankles, and some of our more civilized friends hate us for it. But ah, the laughters... they stay.

Mary Pollock

Lovely. pick a song then go. X

TitusPazmany

There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old We can rock all day in
rocking chairs of gold but tonight I think I'd rather just go dancing
There'll be time enough for rocking when we're old, my love There'll be time
enough for talk in the nursing home Darling, time enough to write an epic
poem but tonight I think I'd rather just go dancing There'll be time enough
for talking in the home, my love There'll be time enough for sleeping when
we're dead You will have a velvet pillow for your head but tonight I think
I'd rather just go dancing There'll be time enough for sleeping when we're
dead, my love There'll be time for sex and drugs in Heaven when our
pheromones are turned up to 11 but tonight I think I'd rather just go
dancing There'll be time enough for sex and drugs in Heaven, my love and
time enough for rocking when we're old

Murilo_YT

TitusPazmany urjddj

martin eclectic

Just so good.

Sally Bowles

one person was really in a terrible mood to dislike this

Segi gise

i feel sad and happy and everything in between

Powell Pressburger

Quite Leonard Cohen.

Iggy Henderson

I write for you. I want someone to.

Sally Bowles

what drugs do I have to take to write like this? Or maybe a miracle...

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