Out Of Time - Rolling Stones, 1966

 
 

You don't know what's going on
You've been away for far too long
You can't come back and think you are still mine
You're out of touch, my baby
My poor discarded baby
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

Well, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
You are all left out
Out of there without a doubt
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

The girl that wants to run away
Discovers that she’s had her day
It’s no good you’re thinking that you are still mine
You’re out of touch, my baby
My poor unfaithful baby
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

Well, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
yes, you are all left out
Out of there without a doubt
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

You thought you were a clever girl
Giving up your social whirl
But you can't come back and be the first in line, oh no
You're obsolete my baby
My poor old-fashioned baby
I said baby, baby, baby you're out of time

Well, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
Yes, you are left out
Out of there without a doubt
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

(Sing a song)

I said, baby, baby, you're out of time...

 
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A quick history of the Rolling Stones: They formed in 1962, the original leader being Brian Jones. However, singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards soon became the band's song writing team. They had known each other as classmates in the '50s, and shared a fascination for American R&B artists such as Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters. Brian Jones was fired from the band in 1969, and died shortly thereafter. With only a few other line-up changes, the Rolling Stones proceeded to produce commercially and critically successful music for the next five decades.

From the early album Aftermath, Out of Time peaked at number one on the charts in 1966, and was also covered by English singer Chris Farlowe. The song is about an ex-girlfriend who looked elsewhere, and decided to come back... I wouldn't imagine Mick Jagger would take kindly to that sort of thing.

I first came to appreciate Out of Time when I heard it on the soundtrack to the 1978 movie, Coming Home. The late 70s were the beginning of America's angst over the Vietnam war failure, and I thought this song fit the movies' theme of two war vets coming home (out of touch, and out of time). If memory serves, it plays as Bruce Dern wades into the ocean, presumably to drown himself.

Connections: Mick Jagger's girlfriend Marianne Faithfull had a musical career.