JUKEBOX: (Daylight Savings) Time Is on My Side
If you live in the US, then you know that this weekend marks the start of Daylight Saving Time. Which, unfortunately, means losing one glorious hour of sleep. Try not to dwell on it. As painful as it will be to have that extra time in your warm bed ripped away from you, I hope to keep your weekend in good spirits with a Daylight Saving Time edition of JUKEBOX!
Now, REBEAT has brought you one JUKEBOX in the past about the end of DST, but that had more of a seasonal focus. This time I’m tackling the concept of time itself, but hopefully not in a confusing metaphysical or philosophical sort of way; we can’t handle that kind of brainwork after losing a whole hour!
Here are some of the songs included in our Spotify playlist:
1) “Rock Around the Clock,” Bill Haley & His Comets (1955)
This is early rock at it’s finest. Marked by countless artists as being a catalyst for their own career, “Rock Around the Clock” is perhaps tame by today’s standards, but in its day, it marked a youthful abandonment of responsibility and promoted living in the moment. It’s about staying up all night and partying “’til broad daylight,” so maybe losing that hour doesn’t seem so bad after all.
2) “Time Is on My Side,” The Rolling Stones (1964)
Casual Stones fans might not realize, but also won’t find it surprising, that this is actually a cover song, originally performed by Kai Winding. The lyrics are almost arrogant in the narrator’s suggestion that his girl will come running back, and he just has to wait it out because time is on his side; that kind of smug attitude made it a perfect choice for the Stones to cover. No matter your feelings on the song’s presented attitude, it sure is catchy with its elongated repetition of “tiiiiiiiii-eyyyyyee-eeeee-iiiiiiiimmmme.” (Yeah, you totally heard it in your head.)
3) “Time Has Come Today,” The Chambers Brothers (1967)
The Spotify-provided version clocks in at only four minutes and 50 seconds, so we thought we’d offer you an extended live version at almost 15 minutes, long before prog rock made such lengthy tunes a standard. It even beat out the lenghty “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by about six months. The metronome-like use of cowbell in this hit is incredibly effective at creating the illusion of time speeding up and slowing down. Try not to trip out on this psychedelic masterpiece too much; you still have to go back to work on Monday, and you’re one hour down.
4) “Who Knows Where the Time Goes,” Fairport Convention (1969)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sNPorNyME0
This is actually the second recording of the track by singer/songwriter Sandy Denny. She had originally recorded it in 1968 for her solo album of the same title, but re-recorded it when she joined Fairport Convention. Denny’s haunting vocals are full of both melancholy and sincerity as she contemplates the fleeting nature of time while also accepting this quality and surrendering to its will.
5) “’39,” Queen (1975)
Okay, so I kind of lied when I said I wouldn’t get too metaphysical. “’39” is a pretty out-there song with a crazy sci-fi concept based on actual physics theories. Guitarist Brian May wrote the song whilst contemplating Einstein’s theory of relativity (like you do) and drafted this piece imagining space explorers who embark on a long, dangerous mission. When they return, they’ve only aged one year, but more than 100 years have passed on Earth, and everyone they knew and loved has died. What a drag, man. Oh, and in case you weren’t aware, Brian May has a PhD in Astrophysics.
Hopefully this has made up for your lack up sleep.
Do you have a favorite song about time? Let us know in the comments!
