Time (Pink Floyd song)

"Time"
Single by Pink Floyd
from the album The Dark Side of the Moon
A-side	"Us and Them" (edited version)
Released	1973
Format	7"
Recorded	Abbey Road June 1972–January 1973
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	7:01 5:56 (without "Breathe (Reprise)") 3:33 (single edit)
Label	Harvest, EMI (UK) Harvest, Capitol (US)
Writer(s)	David Gilmour/Nick Mason/Roger Waters/Richard Wright
Producer	Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd singles chronology
"Money" (1973) "Time"/"Us and Them" (1973) "Have a Cigar" (1975) The Dark Side of the Moon track listing Side one "Speak to Me" "Breathe" "On the Run" "Time" "The Great Gig in the Sky" Side two "Money" "Us and Them" "Any Colour You Like" "Brain Damage" "Eclipse" Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd track listing "Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 1-7" (1) "Time" (2) "The Fletcher Memorial Home" (3)

"Time" is the fourth track from English progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon, and the only song on the album credited to all four members of the band. This song is about how time can slip by, but many people do not realize it until it is too late. Roger Waters got the idea when he realized he was no longer preparing for anything in life, but was right in the middle of it. He had just turned 28. It is noted for its long introductory passage of clocks chiming and alarms ringing, recorded as a quadrophonic test by Alan Parsons, not specifically for the album.

Composition

The Australian Pink Floyd Show performing in 2006 before a backdrop during the song "Time"

Each clock at the beginning of the song was recorded separately in an antiques store. This is followed by a two-minute passage dominated by Nick Mason's drum solo, with rototoms and backgrounded by a tocking sound created by Roger Waters picking two muted strings on his bass. With David Gilmour singing lead on the verses and with Richard Wright singing lead on the bridges and with female singers and Gilmour providing backup vocals, the song's lyrics deal with Roger Waters' realization that life was not about preparing yourself for what happens next, but about grabbing control of your own destiny.^{[citation needed]}

'He (Alan Parsons) had just recently before we did that album gone out with a whole set of equipment and had recorded all these clocks in a clock shop. And we were doing the song Time, and he said "Listen, I just did all these things, I did all these clocks," and so we wheeled out his tape and listened to it and said "Great! Stick it on!" And that, actually, is Alan Parsons' idea.'

— David Gilmour, 

'The drums used on the Time track are roto-toms. I think we did some experiments with some other drums called boo-bans, which are very small, tuned drums, but the roto-toms actually gave the best effect.'

— Nick Mason, 

According to an interview by Phil Taylor in 1994, David Gilmour had been using a Lexicon PCM-70 to store the circular delay sounds heard in "Time", which could duplicate the kind of echo he used to get from his old Binson echo unit.

The song was performed live from 1972 to 1975 and from 1987 to 1994.

Film

During live performances, the band back-projected a specially-commissioned, animated film by Ian Emes. The film was subsequently included as an extra on the Pulse DVD

Personnel

• David Gilmour — electric guitar, vocals
• Roger Waters — electric bass guitar
• Richard Wright — Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, EMS VCS 3, vocals
• Nick Mason — rototoms, drums

with:

• Doris Troy — vocals
• Lesley Duncan — vocals
• Liza Strike — backing vocals
• Barry St. John — backing vocals