Burn Bright, Time Waits for No One

As a songwriter, there are moments when the music we create becomes more than just a melody or a rhythm; it becomes a reflection of our deepest thoughts, fears, and desires. Two of my songs, "Time" and "Burn Bright", are born from a shared theme: the awareness of life's fleeting nature and the urgency to live fully in the present.

"Time" is a meditation on the slow, insidious passage of life. It’s not about death; it's about the quiet way time chips away at us, taking things we don’t even realize we are losing until they are gone. From the opening line, “Time don’t come like no thief in the night,” I wanted to challenge the typical notion of time as a thief. Time doesn’t come in darkness to steal from us; it enters quietly, openly, without notice, and consumes us over the course of years. The lyrics are reflective and full of regret: “You blink, and the world’s already moved on” and “You watch your chances crack like old paint.”

But the real message of “Time” isn’t about lamenting lost moments; it's about realizing what we have let slip away, acknowledging how easily we can fall into complacency. It’s in the refrain: “It ain’t death that robs you first; it’s time.” Time doesn’t take everything all at once; it takes it piece by piece. Youth fades into wrinkles, and those "someday soon" moments become nothing more than “what ifs.”

But even as the song reveals the inevitable passage of time, there's a quiet acceptance in it. The lines “So pour me a memory, aged and neat, / Let it burn like the years beneath my feet” suggest that while we can't stop time, we can savor the memories that remain. Time doesn't steal from us, it strips; layer by layer. And ultimately, it’s up to us to make the most of the layers we have left.

In stark contrast, “Burn Bright” carries a message of defiance against the inevitability of time. It’s a call to live intensely, to not wait for perfection, and to embrace every moment. The phrase “burn bright, like a one time flame” is a mantra of living with passion, as if each moment, each relationship, and each experience might be the last. The song recognizes that we can’t predict when our time will come, but we can make our presence known in every moment we have.

“Burn Bright” isn't about burning out in a blaze of glory. It’s about living fully, even if we don’t always get it right. The line “Dance wrong, sing bad, smile when you’re glad” speaks to the idea of embracing imperfection. Life isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment; it’s about living authentically, finding joy in the messy, spontaneous moments.

Where “Time” warns against the slow erosion of life's opportunities, “Burn Bright” encourages embracing the present with everything you have got. The song offers a celebration of life's small, beautiful moments, those that we often overlook in the pursuit of bigger, more tangible goals. It’s a reminder that small moments often the ones we should hold closest.

Both songs reflect my personal philosophy: life is fragile, and time waits for no one. We are all racing against the clock, but we can choose how we spend the time we have. Whether we are reflecting on the moments we have let slip by or we are choosing to seize the day and “burn bright,” the key is appreciating what we have now.

In the end, both “Time” and “Burn Bright” ask the same question: How are you living right now? Are you letting time slip away, or are you choosing to live life in the moments that matter? The answer lies in how fully we choose to live each day, and that’s a decision we all have the power to make.