“Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.”
–Time (Pink Floyd)
In my opinion, Pink Floyd’s “Time” is one of the greatest songs ever made. Not only does it have an iconic intro and a legendary solo, its lyrics are also masterful. Had “Time” simply been a poem and not a song, it still would carry a profound message. Like much of Pink Floyd’s music, “Time” makes the listener reflect on their life. It makes you think back to all the days you did nothing, and all the times you told yourself, “I have time for that later.” This song can be very anxiety inducing. I remember the first time I heard it. Besides being confused at first by the intro, I was thrown almost into a panic, thinking, “I have got to start doing something significant in my life.” (At this time I was also watching The Office were it seems that no one ever seems to move past their first, unwanted job). While I quickly recovered from my short panic, the message of the song has always stuck with me. That is what makes these lyrics so perfect. They are simple yet powerful. They make the listener truly contemplate what they have done with their time.
