I was born to hippie parents. My dad was rejected from the Vietnam draft due to a disability and listened to music all day. My mom sang in a band at college fraternity parties in the Baltimore area. So when I came into this world, I was surrounded by a hefty dose of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd, among many other bands. It is music I heard growing up in my household, so I’ve just always knew it. I’ve heard it on the radio plenty of times too, but it wasn’t until I got my own copy of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon that I truly appreciated the musical and lyrical genius of the band. The album no doubt is a masterpiece.
So what is the one song that I think all 20-somethings needs to hear in their 20’s and pay close attention to the lyrics? It is “Time” by Pink Floyd on the Dark Side of the Moon album. Read the lyrics below:
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.
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.
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.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over,
Thought I’d something more to say.
This seems to be the story for many people, realizing that their life has passed by and the all the things they meant to do eventually they never actually did. It is a life of regret. The time has passed, and they cannot get it back.
To me this song is a powerful message to the listener. It’s incredible to me that these band members had enough wisdom in their 20’s to realize that time on Earth is short, and our goals, our impact, and our abilities will not always be possible while we are living. So TODAY is the day to realize this and do something about it now no matter how old you are. Don’t wait for someone to tell you to “run” – Just GO now! Ten years does get behind you quickly, but you still have today and whatever remaining time of your life to make an impact. None of us know when our time is up, which is a good thing! So make the most of your time remaining. Thanks for reading my blog.
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