Musical and Textual Representation

The lyrics to "She Has No Time" are listed below (or can be found here if you'd rather flip between tabs than scroll).

You think your days are uneventful
And no one ever thinks about you
She goes her own way
She goes her own way

You say your days are ordinary
And no one ever thinks about you
But we're all the same
And she can hardly breathe without you
She says she has no time
For you now
She says she has no time

Think about the lonely people
Then think about the day she found you
Or lie to yourself
And see it all dissolve around you

She says she has no time
For you now
She says she has no time
For you now
She says she has no time

Lonely people tumble downwards
My heart opens up to you
When she says

She has no time
For you now
She says she has no time
For you now
She says she has no time

When first looking at the text, the lyrics may seem a bit vague, though clearly centered on a woman. This is clearly evident by the pronoun use of "She." However, when examining the standpoint that Chaplin described in the quote from the Historical Background, it becomes clearer that the song embodies a person trying to cheer up their friend, who is depressed by an unreturned love. From this perspective, the lyrics and music all fit into place.

The first verse probes the friend's experience, describing how they feel and projecting what those feelings are, i.e. worthlessness or lack of importance. The repetition of the line "She goes her own way" describes how the recipient of the song sees that the woman in question has left and is taking her own path, her own course of life, which evidently does not include the recipient. The first two lines of the second verse continue in this vein, almost literally repeating the first line. But then there is a shift. This is where the cheering up comes in. The third line of the second verse reads, "But we're all the same," which speaks not to the idea that everyone feels the things that have been so far described, but that everyone goes through the experience that the recipient is going through. At some point, everyone will love someone who does not love them back. And yet, the next line implies that she does love him, even if she says she doesn't, "And she can hardly breathe without you." This sets up a question almost, leading the listener to wonder, "Well, if she can hardly breathe without me, why isn't she with me?"

In the chorus that follows, the question is answered. "She says she has no time for you now." She may love you, but she simply does not have the time for a significant other. This theme is common in romantic stories, where a couple will break up because one person wants to focus on their career, or on their family, or whatever. It should be noted that there is some uncertainty implied by the use of "She says," as if the reason she's giving isn't the real reason. However, the song never tackles that question, and it does not need to, for reasons that will be discussed later.

Then, the singer starts to take over the thought process. "Think about the lonely people / and think about the day she found you." He asks the friend to consider how many people in the world are lonely and without someone to love at all, and how meeting this girl removed him from that pool. It may remind the listener of the saying, "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." He then says, "Or lie to yourself / and see it all dissolve around you." He forces the point with this, saying that the recipient could simply lie to himself by believing that he would have been better off never meeting the girl, because of the pain he's in. If he does, the singer asserts, the very fact that he has met someone and been removed from the population of lonely people will completely disappear; he will become a lonely person if he does not recognize the fact that he is better for having loved, even if it isn't returned.

He then repeats the chorus, reminding us that the girl has no time for him now, although this time, it is lengthened by one repeat of that phrase. This could be to emphasize the point further, or it could be a reference to the concept of time. The girl has no time, so I as the singer will spend more time with you.

Then, we reach the bridge, where we hear, "Lonely people tumble downwards." Although metaphorical in nature, this is a fairly clear statement. People who are lonely--the people who have never loved, and what the recipient will become if he does not recognize the girl's positive influence on his life--continue to sink further into their depression, their loneliness. However, "lonely" in this case can also refer to the simple concept of someone who does not have anyone to help them through things, considering the next lines (which run into the first part of the chorus), "My heart opens up to you / when she says she has no time." The singer is saying, "I am here for you. When she has put you down like this because of whatever she has to deal with, I will be here to help you through it." This then moves into a repeat of the chorus, again lengthened like the second time, as if to prove his intention to stay with the recipient in the way that was implied before.

Musically, everything serves to help the text. The beginning, where the text describes the pain being experienced, is very hollow, ambiguous, and open. It is also characterized by a great deal of minor chords. As the song moves through the progression from the sadness into the cheering up, more instruments are added to create a stronger rhythm and a general fullness and warmth. There is a moment in the middle, the interlude before the bridge, where it moves back to the minor feel and the synthesizer melody wails above. It is as if to suggest that the recipient is still upset, and is wailing and mourning the loss. If imagining the song as a scene with two friends in conversation, the singer is trying to cheer the other up, and when he continues to wail, it compels the singer to move into the bridge, where the strongest message of the song, "My heart opens up to you when she says..." comes out.

There is one particular recurring moment in the song (which is actually missing from the UNC Clef Hangers version) where the music, as if trying to speak for the singer, tries to force a cheer-up. For all of the verses, and the musical interlude, the D chords that we hear are all minor. However, in the chorus, on the words "For you now," the F becomes an F#, making it a glaring D major chord (with an added ninth). It brightens the feel immeasurably, as if trying to force the friend to cheer up.

The end of the song, however, marks a return to the more hollow sound without drums, without chords, and without a singer. At first, one might be compelled to think that the friend has fallen back into the depression, despite the singer's attempts. However, there are some differences that seem to suggest quite the opposite. The bass line, before stagnant, moves from an F up to a G temporarily, and is rhythmic, suggesting motion and activity. Additionally, there is a cyclical keyboard part going through the entire ending. This could be implying the notion of time, moving faster now (it is the fastest continuous rhythm of the entire piece), or it could refer to the same motion and activity that the bass implies. Regardless, the fact that it contains the B natural above the F in the bass suggests the Lydian mode, and results in a much brighter feel. We also hear a synthesizer moving between two notes, with just the sort of inflection that suggests, at least in my opinion, the words, "Thank you." The friend, although not completely cured of his pain, feels better about the situation with the help of the singer, and is responding by thanking him.