Origin: Time (Shel Silverstein)

Subject: Who Is Merchant?
From: pastorpest
Date: 04 Feb 00 - 04:54 PM

I purchased an inexpensive CD (the type with no liner notes) of Burl Ives in a supermarket. From the CD I learned a song entitled "Time" by someone named Merchant. I like this song on the theme of aging with grace. I know the lyrics and melody from the CD. Can anyone tell me anything about the song writer? Thank you.

Subject: RE: Help: Who Is Merchant?
From: Sorcha
Date: 04 Feb 00 - 06:11 PM

Try going here They have an e mail address, maybe they would know.

Subject: RE: Help: Who Is Merchant?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 04 Feb 00 - 07:06 PM

Pastorpest, would you mind putting a verse or two of your song in this thread? I've been looking for a song with this theme for some time. The last word of each verse is, yes - 'time'. I heard someone in Glasgow sing it but have no idea how old it is. Maybe the verses would help me to find out whether this is the one. - Susanne

Subject: Lyr Add: TIME (from Burl Ives)
From: pastorpest
Date: 04 Feb 00 - 10:30 PM

In answer to Susanne(skw) here are the lyrics:


TIME

1. Is the snow a-fallin' a bit deeper these days?
Are they building the stairs a bit steeper these days?
And the town is a-changin' in so many ways.
Time, time, time.

2. Young folks are a-growin' exceptionally tall,
And the newspaper print is becoming quite small,
And folks speak so softly you can hardly hear at all.
Time, time, time.

3. The jokes don't seem as funny as the old jokes once were,
And the girls aren't half as pretty as I remember her,
And today in the park a young man called me "Sir".
Time, time, time.

4. I'm not quite as anxious for fame or success,
And my eye finds that girl in the plain quiet dress,
And I cling a bit longer to each sweet caress.
Time, time, time.

5. So I breathe a bit heavy as I climb a hill:
What of it? My life is really much more fulfilled.
But they're tearing down buildings that I watched them build.
Time, time, time.


That is all. I hope still someone can tell me about the song and the song writer. Thanks!

Subject: RE: Help: Who Is Merchant?
From: Ebbie
Date: 05 Feb 00 - 01:05 PM

A man, here, sings it- he ascribes the lyrics to Shel Silverstein. But if it is on an Ives album..? Ebbie

Subject: RE: Help: Who Is Merchant?
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Feb 00 - 05:47 PM

This is driving me CRAZY! (not that it takes much). Here is what little I have found: It is titled "Time", it is on the CD, "Burl Ives, America's Folk Singer, 38 All Time Greatest Hits". This is a 3 cd set, it is track 12 on disc 2. Haven't found any thing about Merchant, or even lyrics except those posted here. Anybody know date written? One book said it was released on the CD "A Little Bitty Tear" but the track list did not show it. "Tear" was released in 1961. I have found a song titled "Time" by Alan Parson and Eric Woolfson, dated 1981, but no lyrics for it. I suspect it is a different song, as titles cannot be copyrighted. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!I hope somebody finds something soon.

Subject: RE: Help: Who Is Merchant?
From: pastorpest
Date: 06 Feb 00 - 08:12 PM

The CD on which I found the song, track three with the songwriter's name following the title, was published in Holland in 1998 and was on sale in the supermarket in December (Christmas impulse purchase?) for $4.99 Canadian, under $3.50 US dollars. I am confident that "Merchant" is the song writer because I recognize songs and songwriters listed in the same pattern on the recording. All the material is "digitally remastered" so none of it is recent. Burl Ives half sings half talks through the lyrics. I am still looking also for place and date of origin and who Merchant is. Thanks to all who try to solve this mystery!

Subject: RE: Help: Who Is Merchant?
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 06 Feb 00 - 09:18 PM

I visited the library in the last couple of days and on a whim searched for books by Burl Ives in the catalogue. I hadn't realised that he had died more recently than I had believed, sometime in the 1980's. Is it possible that this song was recorded very late, as in shortly before he died? Maybe as late as 1981? Just musing, John

Subject: RE: Origin: Time (Shel Silverstein)
From: GUEST,Alex Ives
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 11:56 AM

Burl Ives sang Shel Silverstein's "Time" in concerts all over the world (including Oslo Concert House, where it was recorded and released on a CD) over the last decades of his life. In the 50s or 60s he and Shel recorded a set of "bawdy" songs together in the basement of the Library of Congress. Obviously, they were friends.

Subject: RE: Origin: Time (Shel Silverstein)
From: GUEST,Warwick Slade
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 01:18 PM

Shel Silerstein is one of my favourite writers with songs as diverse as On Susan's Floor (Gordon Lightfoot) A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) and most of Dr Hooks songs. He also wrote children's poems. I do not know 'Time'.

Subject: RE: Origin: Time (Shel Silverstein)
From: GUEST,Warwick Slade
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 01:24 PM

By the way Time was recorded by Bobby Bare and on youtube

Subject: RE: Origin: Time (Shel Silverstein)
From: GUEST,Col
Date: 07 Oct 21 - 10:18 PM

The song was recorded by Val Doonican on his album Morning in the Country. The album shows the writer as Silverstein and I assume this is Shel Silverstein.

Subject: RE: Origin: Time (Shel Silverstein)
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 08 Oct 21 - 12:36 PM

Yep, definitely a Shel Silverstein tune. Bobby Bare has recorded it twice---once on Drinkin' From The Bottle, and then from his latest, a 2020 release of a previously unreleased 1978 recording called "Great American Saturday Night"---which has exclusively Shel Silverstein tunes.

Here is the original Shel Silverstein recording from his Boy Named Sue album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMmGb3tJbeA