Tori Amos - Time Lyrics






Well, the smart money's on Harlow
And the moon is in the street
The shadow boys are breaking all the laws
And you're east of East St. Louis
And the wind is making speeches
And the rain sounds like a round of applause
Napoleon is weeping in the Carnival saloon
His invisible fiance is in the mirror
The band is going home
It's raining hammers, it's raining nails
Yes, it's true, there's nothing left for him down here

[Chorus:]
And it's Time Time Time
And it's Time Time Time
And it's Time Time Time
That you love
And it's Time Time Time
And they all pretend they're Orphans
And their memory's like a train
You can see it getting smaller as it pulls away
And the things you can't remember
Tell the things you can't forget that
History puts a saint in every dream
Well she said she'd stick around
Until the bandages came off
But these mamas boys just don't know when to quit
And Matilda asks the sailors are those dreams
Or are those prayers
So just close your eyes, son
And this won't hurt a bit
[Chorus]
Well, things are pretty lousy for a calendar girl
The boys just dive right off the cars
And splash into the streets
And when she's on a roll she pulls a razor
From her boot and a thousand
Pigeons fall around her feet
So put a candle in the window
And a kiss upon his lips
Till the dish outside the window fills with rain
Just like a stranger with the weeds in your heart
And pay the fiddler off till I come back again





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Tori Amos Time Comments
  1. S.... B....

    The world hurts a little less every time I hear this song.

  2. J.... J....

    Puddles the clown does a wonderful cover too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV5QlCZjI0Y

  3. C.... H....

    This whole album is very.very good

  4. L.... S....

    This is the only Waits cover I approve of.

  5. J.... C....

    Also good

  6. J.... J....

    fucking shite an insult to tom,but at least he gets a pension boost,i guess

  7. T.... H....

    A touching rendition. Tom likes the royalties, Tori spreads the word. Forty five year fan. From
    Chopin to Shakira, Abba to ZZ, there is room for all in this great world. "Tom Traubert's Blues at my daughter's HS Graduation.

  8. g.... s....

    The rapists. Do they say sick and hurtful things ?

  9. g.... s....

    Do they say things ?

  10. p.... ....

    It is rare to find a cover that outperforms the original

    p.... ....

    That's just pure blasphemy. No one can do Tom Waits better than Tom Waits. However our of all the many who have covered Waits, she definitely is the best one

  11. J.... Z....

    The wind turns my face to you...I search for you, my heart aches...you've gone...the things I can't remember I forget...now, all I have is time, time, time...I love you Kylie

  12. E.... F....

    I first heard this song on the series finale of Once a Thief

  13. P.... H....

    good fucking cover

  14. A.... R....

    bellissima interpretazione

  15. T.... S....

    Tori sang this on the first show after 9/11 on Dave Letterman. It was such a gut check that it has remained one of my favorite numbers of hers.. not just for the performance, but for the memory.

    T.... S....

    I still remember the power of that performance too. "Gut check" indeed. You could have heard a pin drop in the audience, and Letterman was clearly close to tears when he hugged her after the song. (For anyone interested, it's here on YouTube.) In introducing Amos, Letterman made a remark about her having been booked on the show prior to the events of 9/11 - and who knows if this was the song she'd originally intended to perform. But Waits' hauntingly cryptic, melancholy, and evocative lyrics suited that moment so beautifully and profoundly. And her rendition was inspired...emotional, humble, cathartic.
    Two observations: Amos played in a slightly higher key on Letterman than here. Some of the thunderous, inexorable dirge of this album track is replaced with more overtly melodic passages/flights in the upper registers of the piano. Also, that night on Letterman she appropriately omitted the last verse, which contains the following:
    "The boys just dive right off the cars and splash into the street.
    And when they're on a roll she pulls a razor from her boot,
    and a thousand pigeons fall around her feet."

  16. O.... T....

    I like that these tributes exist. Tom Waits' writing is so beautiful, and while I love his gravely voice for the world weariness it lends to his songs, I understand not everyone can get behind the coarseness. So these songs are how I try to get Tom Waits to my friends who don't like songs sung by a man with a voice like straight gasoline.

    O.... T....

    Odin Tillgren perfectly stated! Haha

  17. J.... L....

    This recalls Rickie Lee's cover of Waits's "Rainbow Sleeves"—definitive.

  18. p.... g....

    Well they all pretend they're orphans. And their memory's like a train. You can see it getting smaller as it pulls away

    p.... g....

    paul genuise Always loved that line.

  19. K.... M....

    Tom was on when he wrote that song.

  20. d.... b....

    This is so good it's like early 70's Joni Mitchell

  21. R.... L....

    ...very few can master the brilliance of Tom but she nails it without a sound!

    Thank You for Posting!!!!!

  22. R.... B....

    Bravissimissima!!!

  23. S.... D....

    I'm a die-hard fan of Waits, but...

    This version of Tori Amos' introduces this song to many who would never listen to a Tom Waits song if their life depended on it.

    So, appreciate those who are brought here by Tori.

    It's a softer, quieter version of the deep and hard-hitting song that Mr. Waits delivered, but not a bit of the emotion of it is lost in Ms. Amos' version.

    It's just a different perspective of the same situation.

    S.... D....

    It's true. With this song, Tori introduced me to Tom Waits. I bought "Rain Dogs" as soon as I could. It actually took me a while to get Tom's original version of "Time", but when I did, it was like an epiphany. So yeah, Tori thought me to listen to one of the great geniuses of music. To me, "Time" is a lyrical masterpiece, wheter it is sung by Tori or Tom.

    S.... D....

    Shanna D. Yes Tori's perspective is a great one. Thats actually the premise for all the covers on Strange little girl. Her remake of The male artists originals

    S.... D....

    Make sure you get 'Small Change'. One of his records with a lot of great songs of Tom Waits.

    S.... D....

    Thanks 4 that introduction of Tom 2 me! Tori brought me here but think is TIME to listen to Mr. Waits music!

    S.... D....

    Very well said! (Yes, I know this is from 4 yrs ago.) Tori brings her own magic to this. I don't see it so much as a 'cover' as another facet of the same jewel.

  24. J.... J....

    Amazing cover...

  25. 1.... ....

    'nice one - normally hard to do an edgy original from a big name writer / singer - she makes it her own - nice

  26. M.... F....

    Lovely song  !

  27. R.... M....

    Professor Brian Cox

    R.... M....

    @Robert M. Twelvs You too hey :)

  28. H.... B....

    All Scarletts and Toris: let it be!
    It's Holly Cole's Job to sing Waits.

  29. P.... P....

    The best cover what I've heard before. Amazing processing of song.

  30. D.... S....

    Actually brilliant!

  31. y.... ....

    Well the smart money's on Harlow and the moon is in the street
    And the shadow boys are breaking all the laws
    And you're east of East Saint Louis and the wind is making speeches
    And the rain sounds like a round of applause
    And Napoleon is weeping in a carnival saloon
    His invisible fiancee's in the mirror
    And the band is going home, it's raining hammers, it's raining nails
    And it's true there's nothing left for him down here

    And it's time time time, and it's time time time
    And it's time time time that you love
    And it's time time time

    And they all pretend they're orphans and their memory's like a train
    You can see it getting smaller as it pulls away
    And the things you can't remember tell the things you can't forget
    That history puts a saint in every dream

    Well she said she'd stick around until the bandages came off
    But these mama's boys just don't know when to quit
    And Mathilda asks the sailors "Are those dreams or are those prayers?"
    So close your eyes, son, and this won't hurt a bit

    Oh it's time time time, and it's time time time
    And it's time time time that you love
    And it's time time time

    Well things are pretty lousy for a calendar girl
    The boys just dive right off the cars and splash into the street
    And when they're on a roll she pulls a razor from her boot
    And a thousand pigeons fall around her feet

    So put a candle in the window and a kiss upon his lips
    As the dish outside the window fills with rain
    Just like a stranger with the weeds in your heart
    And pay the fiddler off 'til I come back again

    Oh it's time time time, and it's time time time
    And it's time time time that you love
    And it's time time time
    And it's time time time, and it's time time time

    And it's time time time that you love
    And it's time time time

    y.... ....

    Few songwriters know how to use the words Tom uses in a lyric. Each song is a novella. Amazing. Tori's not one of my big favorites but lots of respect for her recognizing something classic to sing and doing quite a marvelous job.

  32. S.... ....

    Attempts at covering Tom Waits are usually futile - i.e. Downtown Train by Rod Stewart - gimme a break, but Tori's cover of this song is so good it's almost like it was written for her.

    S.... ....

    I think Trampled Rose covered by Allison Krauss is pretty good

    S.... ....

    @Barbara Muench Blinded by the light, Manfred Mann's version is the one everybody thinks is the original. Blew Bruce's version out of the water. Bette Davis eyes, Kim Carnes did it so well nobody even knew that Jackie Delshannon ever recorded it. Many covers have overshadowed the originals, this was equal to Waits not better just different.

    S.... ....

    @Matthew Fogarty Never said one was better than another. OP said they thought Tori Amos was the only person who has ever done a Waits cover well. I think Allison Krauss did a pretty good job with Trampled Rose

    S.... ....

    @Barbara Muench I mistakenly replied to your comment. My reply was meant for DrFaustus.

  33. d.... ....

    A typical example of ehy one should not trifle with perfection. Mr Waits got it right, perfectly so. Ms. Amos tries but isn't able to temper her performance to the songs timbre and depth of feeling. I also find the piano mixed too high if it is even mixed. Too loud anbd intrusive for this most intimate and sensitive of pieces.

  34. M.... R....

    this is pretty, but its two sweet to deliver the power of the lyrics IMO

  35. C.... M....

    Meravigliosa

  36. M.... ....

    This is so beautiful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  37. s.... ....

    So gentle. Who knew?

  38. k.... ....

    This is truly a beautiful cover of a beautiful song. Tori delivers it with such passion and intensity. Magnificent.

  39. M.... ....

    I agree. Yuck!

  40. m.... ....

    without a detour, straight to the heart

  41. P.... R....

    any tom waits fans should check out seth avett covering fish and bird

  42. A.... ....

    There's only a few select people on this planet that could match Tom Waits in terms of sheer power, especially on one of his own songs.
    Tori Amos is one of those few.

  43. G.... ....

    This is just so wonderful..

  44. r.... ....

    "The things you can't remember tell the things you can't forget, that history puts a saint in every dream." Lyrical perfection...Tom Waits is a poet, and Tori's voice brings poetry to life here without a doubt.