Time Waits for No One (song)
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| “Time Waits for No One” | |||||
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| Song by The Rolling Stones | |||||
| Album | It's Only Rock 'n Roll | ||||
| Released | October 18, 1974 | ||||
| Recorded | November, 1973, January, April-May, 1974 | ||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||
| Length | 6 m:38s | ||||
| Label | Rolling Stones/Virgin | ||||
| Writer | Jagger/Richards | ||||
| Producer | The Glimmer Twins | ||||
| It's Only Rock 'n Roll track listing | |||||
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"Time Waits for No One" is a song by British rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from their 1974 album It's Only Rock 'n Roll. It was the first song recorded for the album.
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Time Waits for No One" is a slower, smoother song than the ones the Stones are most well-known for. The song features a distinctive groove that has been compared to the later (though earlier recorded) track "Waiting on a Friend". It's also noted for its distinct Latin influences. The song opens with a riff by Richards which echoes throughout the rest of the song. Drummer Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman keep affected jazz beats. Song contributor Ray Cooper provides the song's distinctive driving percussions, including tambourine, maracas and a knocking beat that carries through the entire song like the sound of a ticking clock. Wyman also contributes an early use of synthesizer on a Stones track. Stones recording veteran Nicky Hopkins provides the song's swirling piano runs.
The songs most noteworthy elements, however, are Mick Taylor's extended guitar solo and Jagger's lyrics. Taylor credits inspiration for the solo to a visit to Brazil following the Stones' European Tour 1973. Taylor's solo piece carries the song to the conclusion (much like "Can't You Hear Me Knocking") and is thought to be the reason why the song has such a distinct Latin flavor to it.
Jagger's lyrics are a pastiche of complex observations and reflections. He speaks in the voice of a person learning the true meaning of life, that, as the title suggests, time waits for no one;
| “ | Yes, star crossed in pleasure the stream flows on by; Yes, as we're sated in leisure, we watch it fly | ” |
| “ | Drink in your summer, gather your corn; The dreams of the night time will vanish by dawn | ” |
"Time Waits for No One" is most significant as it is seen as the breaking point between the original Rolling Stones and Mick Taylor. It is because of his heavy contribution to the song that Taylor expected to receive credit as a co-writer (also for "Till the Next Goodbye") alongside usual credited composers Jagger and Richards. He did not. It is this snub, along with the other Stones' decision to head to Munich and begin recording the next album instead of touring in support of It's Only Rock 'n Roll, that led to Taylor's exit from the band.
The song, though well regarded among the Stones' canon of work, has never been performed live and has only appeared on one compilation album, 1981's Sucking in the Seventies. This is a truncated version, with a running time some two minutes shorter than the original as Taylor's solo is faded out early.
