Bassist Roger Waters wrote the lyrics and the music is credited to all four band members. Keyboardist Richard Wright shares lead vocals alongside guitarist David Gilmour.

The lyrics deal with the passage of time – time can slip by, but many people do not realise it until it is too late. Waters got the idea when he realised he was no longer preparing for anything in life, but was right in the middle of it. He has described this realisation taking place at ages 28 and 29 in various interviews. 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.

Lyrics

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day

Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way

Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town

Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain

And you are young and life is long and there is time to kill today

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you

No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking

Racing around to come up behind you again

The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time

Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines

Hanging on quiet desperation is the English way

The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say

BREATHE REPRISE

Home, home again

I like to be here when I can

And when I come home cold and tired

It's good to warm my bones beside the fire

Far away across the field

The tolling of the iron bell

Calls the faithful to their knees

To hear the softly spoken magic spells

Songwriters: David Jon Gilmour / Nicholas Berkeley Mason / George Roger Waters / Richard William Wright

Time (Live, Delicate Sound Of Thunder) lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management