[Instrumental Intro]

(Time is the master, and time could be a disaster!)

[Verse 1:]
Ticking away, the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
(Time is the master, and time could be a disaster!)
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown
(Drop it, drop it, moving on the down)
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
(Ain't no time to play!)

Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain (wow!)
You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today (ain't no time to play!)
And then one day you find, ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run (got no one to blame but yourself), you missed the starting gun

[Toasting: Ranking Joe]
A-tick-a-tick-a-tock, look at the clock
Got to move it on the dot, and don't you know because the time is
The time, the time, the time, the time is the master
And time can be a disaster, yeah you know
Got no time to play
The time is the master, huh
And time is the master, yeah
I say you can't change the hands of time
And you could never turn back hands of time
Got no time to play
Got to get on the go and got to move it, right away when I tell you, say we got no time to be late
When I tell you, say whaa
'Cause time is the master
A tick-a-tick-a-tock-a move it on the dot and don't you look back, I tell you you could die
See the time, it's a terrible time
'Cause homie say can me say see what's time, yo
Yeah, you know?
Got to know what you understand, is what I want you to say, ain't got no time for me, got no time for delay is what I want you to say
A tick-a-tick-a-tick-a-tock, move it on and say a-you could never stop
Got no time to play, I say no time to delay
Move it right away, I never tell you, don't wanna say 'cause this-a time is the master
Time is the master, time can be a disaster, yeah you know?
So you got to move it on the go and don't undertand, a little bit or a load, keep a-coming man go
When I tell you understand what I leave behind, leave for man, suppose I wanna go, she want you to say whaa!
[Verse 2:]
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say

["Breathe (Reprise)":]
Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
When I come home cold and tired
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells