Lyrics John Martyn

John Martyn

Father Time

I saw you, yesterday

Walking down my line

I says: I know you, just get away

Your name is Father Time.

Time I hate, the time I love

Time I spent all over

Time I wasted, the time I spent

Time I've got to run away.

I saw you, yesterday

Running down my track

I saw you just yesterday

I could feel you at my back.

With that long black cloak and that sharp scythe

For cutting them all down

Your long black coat, a skull and a scythe

Cutting them all through town.

I saw you, just yesterday

You don't frighten me

I see you every day

You still don't frighten me.

One day I'll go

And you'll have no choice but to come with me

The next day I'll come

The very next day I'll have to go

I tell you, say.

You're no herb from my garden

You're no rosemary

And you are no sage

You know your name

I call you Father Time.

I saw you yesterday

I can still see you now

You're living in my face, in my breakfast

I can see you now.

You're just the time I wasted, the time I spent

You're the time I'm left to run with

What time is this

Even I make up time, I do, I'm the time

You can call yourself daddy

But you're no father of mine.

Yes I saw you yesterday

You didn't frighten me at all

I saw you just yesterday

You didn't frighten me at all.

With that long cloak and that silly little skull

The stupid scythe and all your jive

I never could see you, I can't see you now

Not as long as I'm alive.

One day, I'll go

The very next day you'll come

One day you'll come

The very next time I'll go.

I know a friend of mine, a friend of mine was watching

Told me the time by the clock

I saw him last night, down by the graveyard

Holding on to a rock.

I said: I saw you yesterday

I saw you, Father Time

I said: go away, go away, go away, go away, go away

I know you're Father Time, run it down now.

I said: every minute, every second, every day of my life

I meet you in the mirror

Every time, look at each wrinkle

I know I've got a sheriff coming.

Sure I saw you, sure as time

Sure as clock, sure is fine

I know that mother's no father

Cos they call him Father Time.

Coming through the door

With a black cloak

And a nasty sharp instrument

That nasty sharp instrument

That nasty sharp instrument

I won't go 'till I'm ready and you can't catch me

I won't go 'till I'm ready.