top of page

Deep Purple - Child In Time - 1970



Deep Purple's classic album IN ROCK smashed into the charts in 1970 and stayed there for in excess of 12 months. Taken from the album is this incredible number 'Child In Time' which at nearly 11 minutes long has become an anthem to people all over the world.


Ian Gillan has said that "Child in Time" is based on It's a Beautiful Day's psychedelic song "Bombay Calling".


It's a Beautiful Day in return borrowed Purple's "Wring That Neck" and turned it into "Don and Dewey" on their second album Marrying Maiden (1970). As Ian Gillan put it in a 2002 interview, "There are two sides to that song - the musical side and the lyrical side. On the musical side, there used to be this song 'Bombay Calling' by a band called It's A Beautiful Day.


It was fresh and original, when Jon was one day playing it on his keyboard. It sounded good, and we thought we'd play around with it, change it a bit and do something new keeping that as a base. But then, I had never heard the original 'Bombay Calling'. So, we created this song using the Cold War as the theme, and wrote the lines 'Sweet child in time, you'll see the line.' That's how the lyrical side came in. Then, Jon had the keyboard parts ready and Ritchie had the guitar parts ready. The song basically reflected the mood of the moment, and that's why it became so popular."



Lyrics


Sweet child in time

You'll see the line

The line that's drawn between

Good and bad


See the blind man

Shooting at the world

Bullets flying

Ohh taking toll


If you've been bad

Oh Lord I bet you have

And you've not been hit

Oh by flying lead


You'd better close your eyes

Ooohhhh bow your head

Wait for the ricochet


Oooooo ooooooo ooooooo

Oooooo ooooooo ooooooo

Ooo, ooo ooo

Ooo ooo ooo


Oooooo ooooooo ooooooo

Oooooo ooooooo ooooooo

Ooo, ooo ooo

Ooo ooo ooo


Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aahh, aahh aahh

Aah I wanna hear you sing


Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aahh, aahh aahh

Aaahhhh


Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aahh, aahh aahh


Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aahh, aahh aahh


Sweet child in time

You'll see the line

The line that's drawn between

Good and bad


See the blind man

Shooting at the world

Bullets flying

Mmmm taking toll


If you've been bad

Lord I bet you have

And you've not been hit

Oh by flying lead


You'd better close your eyes

Ooohhhhhhh bow your head

Wait for the ricochet


Oooooo ooooooo ooooooo

Oooooo ooooooo ooooooo

Ooo, ooo ooo

Ooo ooo ooo


Oooooo ooooooo ooooooo

Oooooo ooooooo ooooooo

Ooo, ooo ooo

Ooo ooo ooo


Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aahh, aahh aahh

Aah I gotta hear you sing


Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aahh, aahh aahh

Aah


Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aahh, aahh aahh

Aah


Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aaaahh aaaahh aaaahh

Aahh, aahh aahh


Oh..God oh no..oh God no..oh..ah..no ah

AAh..oh..

Aawaah..ohh




Songwriters: Ian Gillan / Ian Paice / Jon Lord / Ritchie Blackmore / Roger Glover

Child in Time lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC




Σχόλια


bottom of page