Praying for Time Lyrics
These are the days of the open hand
They will not be the last
Look around now
These are the days of the beggars and the choosers
This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand with ignorance and legitimate excuses
[Pre-Chorus]
The rich declare themselves poor
And most of us are not sure
If we have too much, but we'll take our chances
'Cause God's stopped keeping score
I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
Turned his back, and all God's children
Crept out the back door
[Chorus]
And it's hard to love
There's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above
Say it's much, much too late
Well, maybe we should all be praying for time
These are the days of the empty hand
Oh, you hold on to what you can
And charity is a coat you wear twice a year
This is the year of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find
That what was over there is over here
[Pre-Chorus]
So you scream from behind your door
Say, "What's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much, but I'll take my chances
'Cause God's stopped keeping score"
And you cling to the things they sold you
Did you cover your eyes when they told you
That he can't come back
'Cause he has no children to come back for?
[Chorus]
It's hard to love
There's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above
Say it's much too late
So maybe we should all be praying for time
About
“Praying for Time” is a song written and performed by George Michael, released on Epic Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States in 1990. It spent one week at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Michael’s seventh number one in the US and his last solo single to reach the top of the Hot 100. “Praying for Time” also reached number one in Canada for two weeks, becoming Michael’s penultimate number-one solo hit there. The song was the first of five released in the UK from the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, although it was the only one of the quintet to make the UK top 10. As of October 2017, the single sold 140,000 copies in UK.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
It means its a lot easier to find something wrong with the world than it is to love people or circumstances.
In the September 16, 1990 NY Times article, George Michael is quoted regarding “Praying For Time”:
“No event inspired the song. It’s my way of trying to figure out why it’s so hard for people to be good to each other. I believe the problem is conditional as opposed to being something inherent in mankind. The media has affected everybody’s consciousness much more than most people will admit. Because of the media, the way the world is perceived is as a place where resources and time are running out. We’re taught that you have to grab what you can before it’s gone. It’s almost as if there isn’t time for compassion.”
- 1.Praying for Time
- 2.Freedom! ’90
- 9.Soul Free
