Peak
2
Weeks
18
Score
3,731
Chart Year
1983
This song provides a great answer to the proposition, "just give it time." As Boy George explains in the lyric, time doesn't always make a relationship work. Staying together might make you feel like you have a real love, when really all you've done is log some hours as a couple. Time is precious, and it's too valuable to waste on something that isn't working. The members of Culture Club didn't know how to write songs when they got together, so they learned by practice, with each member contributing and sharing in the writing credits. Their guitarist Roy Hay explained in Musician magazine how this one came about: "That song came from me and Mikey (Craig, bass player) getting some music together, and George getting excited and putting lyrics to it. At first, it was horrible, really bland. Then Mikey had this idea to use a staggered beat. I said, 'Yeah, let's do it with the Moog.' So we did that, got the great snare sound and it came together." In America, this was the follow-up to Culture Club's debut single "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?," and it also did well on Adult Contemporary formats and MTV - not a traditional combination, but one that proved very successful for the band. The music video, directed by Chris Gabrin, takes us inside a book with a clock on the cover to show the band performing in a studio. They're also seen sitting in a living room, sharing coffee (out of personalized mugs) and a clock-shaped cake while watching themselves on TV. Gabrin told Boy George Fever about the making of the video: "I found an old vacated recording studio, just outside London, I had five men spending many hours working on creating a recording studio for us. It went on for almost a week to just get it ready for filming. We had a few instruments and microphones set up. I guided the camera up and down, capturing the group's faces from every conceivable and inconceivable angle I wanted people to get a warm feeling of this super new group called Culture Club." Backing vocalist Helen Terry makes a rather frumpy cameo appearance in the clip as the curler-wearing housekeeper who serves them cake, a scenario that bothered lead singer Boy George. He said: "I hate the fact that Helen Terry is cruelly dressed looking like a Molly Mop, I'm slightly upset of how Helen Terry is presented in this video. It was a wrong decision made by the director." Saxophone solos were big in 1982. The one on this song was performed by Nick Payne.
Don't put your head on my shoulder Sink me in a river of tears This could be the best place yet But you must overcome your fears Ooh in time it could have been so much more The time is precious I know In time it could have been so much more The time has nothing to show because Time won't give me time and Time makes lovers feel like they've got something real But you and me we know they've got nothing but time And time won't give me time, won't give me time (time, time, time) Don't make me feel any colder Time is like a clock in my heart Touch me touch was the key too much I felt I lost you from the start Ooh in time it could have been so much more The time is precious I know In time it could have been so much more The time has nothing to show because Time won't give me time and Time makes lovers feel like they've got something real But you and me we know they've got nothing but time And time won't give me time, won't give me time (time, time, time) Ooh in time it could have been so much more The time is precious I know In time it could have been so much more The time has nothing to show because Time won't give me time and Time makes lovers feel like they've got something real But you and me we know they've got nothing but time And you know time won't give me time And time makes lovers feel like they've got something real But you and me we know they've got nothing but time And you know time won't give me time And time makes lovers feel like they've got something real
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 16, 1983 | 59 | 67 |
| 2 | Apr 23, 1983 | 46 | 80 |
| 3 | Apr 30, 1983 | 30 | 96 |
| 4 | May 7, 1983 | 19 | 107 |
| 5 | May 14, 1983 | 17 | 109 |
| 6 | May 21, 1983 | 10 | 116 |
| 7 | May 28, 1983 | 8 | 118 |
| 8 | Jun 4, 1983 | 4 | 122 |
| 9 | Jun 11, 1983 | 3 | 123 |
| 10 | Jun 18, 1983 | 2 | 124 |
| 11 | Jun 25, 1983 | 2 | 124 |
| 12 | Jul 2, 1983 | 4 | 122 |
| 13 | Jul 9, 1983 | 7 | 119 |
| 14 | Jul 16, 1983 | 10 | 116 |
| 15 | Jul 23, 1983 | 23 | 103 |
| 16 | Jul 30, 1983 | 44 | 82 |
| 17 | Aug 6, 1983 | 63 | 63 |
| 18 | Aug 13, 1983 | 73 | 53 |