"Time" For An Exorcism

Al Stewart's 1978* hit, Time Passages, has been in my head off and on for two or three weeks. It was there again first thing upon awakening this morning. It must want out of my mind - and into a blog post.

"It was late in December, the sky turned to snow
All round the day was going down slow
Night like a river beginning to flow
I felt the beat of my mind go
Drifting into time passages
Years go falling in the fading light
Time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight

Well I'm not the kind to live in the past
The years run too short and the days too fast
The things you lean on are the things that don't last
Well it's just now and then 
My line gets cast into these
Time passages
There's something back here that you left behind
Oh time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight

Hear the echoes and feel yourself starting to turn
Don't know why you should feel
That there's something to learn
It's just a game that you play

Well the picture is changing
Now you're part of a crowd
They're laughing at something
And the music's loud
A girl comes towards you
You once used to know
You reach out your hand
But you're all alone, in these
Time passages

I know you're in there,
You're just out of sight
Time passages
Buy me a ticket on the
last train home tonight"



(Time Passages written by Deniece Williams and Maurice White)


*Even though 1978 was a *memorable* year (my father died; we moved 'back home') I don't have any specific memories associated with this song. It hit #7 on Billboard in December. I always liked the tune, I don't know why it has been haunting me.