My mother's favorite song. Played at her funeral. She died young with my 10 yr old brother in a car crash, so this song is rough I was just 16, and could not even listen to this for decades.
Isn't it weird that he wrote such an eerie, melancholy song dedicated to his child, just before he was accidentally killed? Sometimes it seems like these young artists knew they wouldn't live to become old.
Daniel, Jim Croce was an important musician in the 70's that was taken too soon in a plane crash 9-20-73 age 30. OPERATOR is great and you'll like it. I'VE GOT A NAME, NEW YORK'S NOT MY HOME, ONE LESS SET OF FOOTSTEPS, LOVER'S CROSS and I'LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE YOU IN A SONG are all awesome. Then there's the fun BAD, BAD LEROY BROWN, ROLLER DERBY QUEEN, YOU DON't MESS AROUND WITH JIM and WORKING AT THE CAR WASH BLUES. His stuff is just fun, uplifting and thought provoking 70's music that was always on the radio and provided a soundtrack for our lives during these years. You can listen to all the music you want but you'll never find better (musically and lyrically) and more varied styles than what was produced in the 70's. From hard rock to progressive to soft rock to blues to country/western to disco and dance and electronic and jazz, there's so much available to discover. Reggae(Marley) and ska too. You'll be busy for the next few years.
I am so impressed with you, Daniel! You might "only" be 16 years old, but your wisdom is far beyond your years. And I am guessing your intelligence is right up there, too. Jim Croce is one of the greats. Thanks for bringing back some memories to us older folks. Thank your Dad also. He has some pretty great taste in music also!
Don't know if it has been mentioned but please remember "Jim Croce" was a duo. Maury Muehleisen is responsible for much of the beautiful guitar work. He also died in the plane crash but is largely forgotten by the younger generations.
If no one else has we should take a moment to remember Jim's accompanist Maury Muehleisen who also perished in the plane crash his guitar accompaniment was near perfection Rip gentleman 🙏♥️
Jim Croce was a tremendous loss .So tragic at age 30 when he was peaking in his career. Lover’s Cross is another great song along with I’ve Got a Name. One of the great story telling, singer songwriters of the 70’s along with Cat Stevens, Harry Chapin, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Carole King, Paul Simon and a host of others. I’m also going to encourage you to react to Billy Joel even though his songs seem to be difficult to keep from getting blocked. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant may be his best ever. He blended two unfinished songs into one epic. Musically. brilliant like a movie soundtrack.
Jim Croce...Philly boy. We were so devastated when he died. This came out right before that. Almost prophetic. "Bad Leroy Brown" is a classic. A complete 180 from this song. A lot of fun, too.
I heard that he wrote this song for his unborn or infant son and that Jim passed away soon after. A really pretty and meaningful song. Could you please also listen to Gordon Lightfoot "If You Could Read My Mind." Thanks, Daniel.
His son was eight days from his second birthday when Jim was killed. AJ Croce has since carved out his own successful musical career. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._J._Croce?wprov=sfti1
The fact that the child was not yet born makes sense as why it may sound the one to whom he was speaking is not yet alive. He’s speaking of a future event. How prophetic it would become is so sad. Jim Croce and his other guitarist Maury were like magic together. RIP to both of them.
@@MultiLakewood he was almost 2 .. watch the music video it’s a home video of him with wife and son. Son was almost 2 when he died. After death his wife received a letter from him telling her that he was going to cut tours to spend time with them as missed them
Jim Croce died in an airplane crash soon after this was released. My wife passed away very young 4 years later.As life goes on and tragedy and heartache enters your life you will get the song.Life is rough.Ups and downs and all arounds I know wisdom from an old guy doesn't mean much to you now. But life throws curve balls.
This song was written for his son who was 2 or 3 at the time of it's release. There's a video showing home movies with his son in it. There's also a video on TH-cam of his now grown up son, shown singing this song. A.J. Croce who is now 48 years old and a recording artist himself.
I remember roller skating by myself to this song on the concrete patio slab in our backyard when I was a kid. I was around 10 or 11 and loved Jim Croce's songs, probably 1975?
Back in 1976 my future wife and I played this song at a wedding. My wife played piano, I played the guitar part and another lady sang it. This song was a popular wedding song in the 70s.
Taxi by Harry Chapin and If You could read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot are a couple of other songs that would be really good to react to, both are acoustic and lyrically driven.
Time In A Bottle was used as a music track in one of the X-Men movies, in an action sequence highlighting Quicksilver, whose ability to move at superspeed also allows him to slow down time in his general vicinity. The clip can be found on TH-cam if you haven't seen it. Song recommendations: Six String Orchestra, by Harry Chapin Corey's Coming, by Harry Chapin Mr. Tanner, by Harry Chapin 30,000 Pounds of Bananas, by Harry Chapin (live version is best) The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota, by Weird Al Yankovic The Great Selkie, by Avalon Rising Edge of Night, by Celtic Angels Against The Wind, by Maire Brennan Respect The Wind, by Van Halen The Roof Is Leaking, by Phil Collins
Daniel, you're correct that we, his fans, took the song personally. I was 19 when he died. By the time the song hit #1, the song had become so entwined with the sadness of his passing that the two were one and the same.I loved the song and found it both sad and uplifting; it still is. I know this "take" is wrong because it was written for his son, but I always felt it was a song for all of us. For me, the "you" in the song is me personally. And the "you" is Daniel specifically. And the "you" is everyone who is enlightened by Croce's perspective. It's like he left a message asking to us to let him be our muse for awhile. It's beautiful.
Later, when I read Harry Potter and learned about the “Mirror of Erised” I thought of Time in a Bottle. Dumbledore had said. “The happiest man would look in the mirror and see himself just as he was”. Like “ if I had a box just for wishes and dreams that had never come true, the box would be empty except for the memory of how they were answered by you” ...A hauntingly beautiful song.
When one thinks about the untimely death of Croce before this song charted as a single, the song takes on so much more meaning. Daniel, thank you for reacting to one of my all time favs and Dad, thank you for exposing me to this amazing singer/songwriter.
I know, isn't it lovely Lara? Even for us oldies..he brings our memories back...and OH! As he is inspired to try on his guitar, that just won him a million Infinity "Likes" from me!!
When I was a kid (1973?) the story was the record company was moving on to another single from his next album. This song came up to be used in the movie "She Lives" about a cancer survivor. ABC TV was flooded with calls about the song the next day (and after) that the record company put it out as a single.
Styx, Boston, and Jim Croce all in the same day, that's a good day. I subscribe to several music reaction and performing channels, I find myself making time every day for yours.
That's awesome, I'm honored to hear it:) Thank all the incredible people like your fine self who both encourage me and help me put out fun content, and suggest these timeless classics I shall carry to my dying day.
@@georgewodicka4839 Wow, thank you!! I appreciate it:) Patrons have access to some exclusive content as well as a chat community on discord and priority requests.
@@DiconDissectionalReactions , I don't know if you'll see this or not since it's now months after you did this video. However, when you said you were 16, I literally paused and went back THREE times to make sure I heard you right! I'm a subscriber and have watched many of your videos, and thought you were actually college age! I don't want to be responsible for giving you an inflated ego (and I don't think you would), but I would love to know what your I.Q. is! I was a teacher for many years (now 65 years old), and you are one of the most intelligent, insightful, well-spoken, wisely perceptive young men I've ever seen and heard -- truly!! Needless to say, I'm extremely impressed by your communicative ability. I KNOW you will go far, and I will continue to subscribe to your channel! God bless you and all your endeavors, my friend!
Melancholy: a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause. Pensive: engaged in, involved, or reflecting deep or serious thought. But listen to how the melody and change from minor to major reflects the mood. Often, when we're filled with joy there's a shadow to it where we can't help but reflect on all the other emotions that can go with it. This is one of my favourites songs for this reason.
So many good pop radio hits in the 70's. So many sad ones too. Like this. Such beautiful, heartfelt songs, but really hard to listen to sometimes. Songs like Wildfire, I'm Not In Love, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, I Honestly Love You, Cats In The Cradle, Without You, All By Myself.....on and on.
Yes, the harpsichord adds a certain eeriness to the song which makes it magical. I recently read an interesting story told by Tommy West, one of Jim's producers, on how the harpsichord came to be added to the song. Tommy was the person playing the instrument. Here is a snippet of the article: The arrangement features a harpsichord that producer Tommy West discovered had been left in the mixing studio: "The night before we were going to mix, I was watching a horror movie on TV, and something must have lodged in my brain because when I walked into the studio the next day, I saw this harpsichord sitting in a corner and got an idea. A jingle company had used it on a session and in walked a couple of guys from SIR [Studio Instruments Rental] to haul it away. I asked them to take a lunch break and told Bruce to put a couple of mics on it. He was whining that it was out of tune, but I asked him to let me try something. I added two tracks of harpsichord, told the movers they could remove it, walked into Jerry's office and asked if I could borrow the electric bass that was sitting on his couch, played that on just the second verse and the outro, and that was that! Radio compression worked in our favor on that record. It made the harpsichord blend with the two guitars in an unusual way. But we thought this record would only be an album cut." - www.laurelcanyonuk.com/lcm-classics-blog/2017/12/27/time-in-a-bottle-jim-croce-1972
The saddest part of this is that Jim never lived to see that he'd made it. He had actually written his wife a letter that said he was going to retire from performing and write poetry. He wanted to stay home and raise his son with his wife. Then on September 20, 1973 he and his accompanist Maury Melheuse(sic) died in a plane crash.
As we get older, our memories of loved ones and friends who have passed away are all we have left.. If we could have every memory in a bottle, or locked away somewhere safe, we could live the experience of that one great memory, over again, anytime we chose. Our memories fade somewhat, as we age. With that comes the saying, “ If I knew then what I know now...” . We learn as we grow. IE: if I had known how this decision was going to turn out, I would have made a better decision. Some of us decide late in life what our passion is or career could have been. Once we realize this, there’s no time to peruse them because we’re living life. Jim had a grasp of this when he wrote this song. It’s a pity so many good, talented people have passed away, and some very young. Can you imagine what songs could have come from Jim Morrison, or Jimi Hendrix by now? ✌🏻
What, you mean your Dad isn't a patron? At least he has honorary patronage (and pretty damn good taste from what we've seen so far). The 70s singer-songwriter genre will be up your street in a similar, yet completely different, way to the prog stuff I reckon. Two guys you should check out sooner rather than later are Gordon Lightfoot and Harry Chapin (I mean if you like a great storyteller Harry was the man - and another one who died way too young - Gord's still with us, is 81 and just released a new album this year, so quite a contrast there -equally great storyteller though!).
Now you're talking... I'd throw Loggins and Messina into that same group. As far as Chapin, the song everyone knows, of course, is Cats in the Cradle, but Taxi is my absolute favorite of his.
"The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot, another I would LOVE to see your thoughts. There is a great, perfectly timed video lyrical video on this song on TH-cam. Shocked if it wasn't one of your top viewed reactions. 55 MILLION views.
When my ex-wife and I were dating, this was her favorite song. On our first Christmas I bought her a "box made for wishes and dreams that had not come true". It was empty. A calendar for days without end. And an hour glass, time in a bottle. I told her, "guess the song". She got it when she opened the hour glass.
Loved your comment about a music box in a horror movie. Made me laugh out loud. You should react to the band called Bread. It's nothing like that. I enjoy your reactions! Thanks!
One of my favorites of his.Great lyrics and music.What I will remember about this song is seeing Glen Campbell sing it in concert with The Buffalo Philharmonic prior to his bout with dementia which led to his passing.
Croce's cousin, Pat, was well known in Philadelphia as a fitness trainer, physical therapist who worked up the corporate ladder of Comcast-Spectacor, becoming an executive with the Philadelphia 76ers.
This is sad, but get the tissues out for "Tears For Heaven" from Eric Clapton, about his son Conor Clapton, a 4 1/2 year old who died a senseless and tragic death I don't want to describe, back in 1991. So sad.
Jim and Ingrid Croce had a son named A.J. who has inherited his father's musical talents. He plays a mean jazz piano. They ran a nightclub here in San Diego for years. Ingrid and my Mom were friends.back in the day. He died way too young. After the plane crash, Ingrid figured out that his managers and agents had been screwing him over for years. They were left with almost nothing. She started a restaurant just to feed her kid. Over the years, as A.J.s talents started to show, they added a nightclub. They called it The Top Hat Bar and Grill which is the name of another Croce song.
Last post here, check out the solo album in 1970 by Maury Muehleisen. th-cam.com/video/C4UK8Ra8TYA/w-d-xo.html Who is he? He played guitars with Jim Croce on "Time in a Bottle". In-fact, he arranged/composed/played much of the guitar arrangements on "Time in a bottle" as well as the songs on Croce's last album. They were basically a team with Jim being in the spotlight. He died along with Jim on the plane that day. He was only 24. He was 20-21 when he did this solo album (his only album). Maury was not the great vocalist Jim was but you can clearly tell Maury was a very good composer since he wrote/sang all the songs on this solo album of his. "Time in a bottle" is what it is due to both Jim and Maury. Gingerbreadd is a very good album that deserves way more recognition than it ever got. Deserves a listen.
One song you might want to consider checking out, especially with your interest in dissecting lyrics, is ‘American Pie’ by Don McLean. To my knowledge Don has never come out and explained the lyrics, but there have certainly been enough people analyzing the song that there is some general consensus on certain points. I know you are in the process of learning a lot of this music history so some of the many details in the song might escape your current level of deduction. Without wanting to give too much away there are lyrics that refer to the ‘the day the music died’ which most think is a reference to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. He also references the King, who most assume is Elvis Presley and the Jester who is thought to be Bob Dylan and the ‘marching band’ being the Beatles ( referencing Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band). That’s barely scratching the surface of the historical music references in the song and in fact it’s my understanding that there have actually been courses in college dedicated to deciphering the lyrics to this song. Anyway, I thought you’d get a kick out of diving into that song and seeing what you came up with. Cheers!
I interpret this great song as showing Jim's intense love for not only his woman but also his young son who he was singing this to in the video of them outdoors on their farm.. Its more than wishful thinking but is him imagining an eternal perfect love. Its the ideal love we all hope to have someday. I imagine this perfect love in Heaven.
Such a good songwriter. There are some great live recordings of him that you should check out. Just him and Maury Mueheissen who accompanied him on guitar. Maury dies in the same crash. He was so entertaining live, telling stories of how he wrote the songs (never saw him personally). If you listen to more Croce, Operator (That’s Not the Way it Feels) is my next fav. Also, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, and I’ve Got a Name are excellent. Unfortunately his discography is too short, but man there are some gems. Cheers. PS - you should look up the tab for this one. It’s a great finger picking exercise, and I think you could play it. There are two guitar parts. I remember figuring them out when I was in college (didn’t have all the tab at your fingertips back then). I recorded it on my 4-track and was pretty impressed with how close my transcription was when I finally found the tab years later.
See? I told you that if I start just scrolling your channel, there are SO MANY Fabulous songs, that I don't have enough time to watch/listen to them all:) So chuffed that you are reviewing Croce..and at the risk of having missed it...Bread, is another group with the lyrics/poetry as such that still is as timeless enough to touch even young hearts like yours:) love from across the pond as always...ladybudd...XXX
This is that song ! My wife and I claimed this as " our song" when we were dating it was always on the radio and we always listened to the lyrics and took them personally!
I’d like to suggest Bad Bad Leroy Brown. Just a lot of fun. No heavy messages on that one. Keep it up Daniel. I really enjoy seeing these songs through fresh eyes.
Dearest Daniel, Here I am with another recommendation! Artist: k. d. lang (this is the way she spells it - in lower case letters). Song: “Crying” th-cam.com/video/Or-0aIHtD2Q/w-d-xo.html This I’d from 1993, a talk show on Australian TV. There is two minutes of an interview which gives useful information about the song, followed by what I think is one of her best performances of the song. Her voice is a true phenomenon - once in a generation. Beauty, power, control - she dazzles me. Enjoy!
I agree, it is rather haunting. In my opinion, songs that are rather haunting such as “Time In A Bottle” by Jim Croce, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot, and “Ode to Billy Joe” by Bobbie Gentry, tend to stand the test of time. In other words, once you hear these songs, you’ll never forget them.
Time in a Bottle was used for a TV movie called "She Live's lead guitar about a girl with cancer...Funny your name is Daniel...my only sibling, my brother Daniel, passed away July 2020 and Thought I'd never be able to sit through this song ever again. thanks for sittin' in for him. BTW you should be a literature teacher....
Most Millennials know this song from "X Men Days Of Future Past". The scene where Quick Silver disarms a bunch of security guards in a kitchen. He moves so fast that it's like freezing time, hence the song. It also is kind of cool that the song came out in 1973 which is the year that Wolverine is sent back in time so it's a perfect fit.
Lovely flash back. I agree you might be interested in Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald. Also, maybe some Cat Stevens, not the big hits but deep cuts like On The Road To Findout (spiritual seeking) or 18th Avenue (a bit weirder/almost prog).
🇨🇦❤️I always cry when I hear this song, but that’s a good thing. Thank you for this review. We may not realize how important some moments are until much later in our lives. Frustrations and conflict are components that you always have to brace yourself for and it’s absolutely necessary to experience them as a young person in the relative safety of the family home to help you understand that you have the strength to deal with whatever the world throws at you. Genuine loving kindness is what we all want most along with the three A’s, attention, acceptance and affection. We hope we’re not misunderstood and working hard to understand others is a great way to learn. This song helped me to learn all of these things and when Mr. Croce died, many people, like me, felt his loss keenly, particularly because of this song. The lyrics of the song Hold On remind me very strongly of you, because you clearly understand how music impacts our lives. “Music hold the secret, To know it can make you whole It's not just a game of notes, It's the sound inside your soul The magic of the melody Runs through you like a stream The notes they play flow through your head Like a dream” -Triumph-recorded in 1978
Love to see young people discover all this magic. Moving a bit out of the amazing 70s. The entire Jeff Buckley -Grace- album is a gift that keeps on giving. But starting with Grace the song will do. If you don't already know the album, you will actually feel blessed after... RIP Jeff
Really enjoying your channel. I grew up with this music and appreciate your appreciation of these timeless clasdics. I am also a huge Jethro Tull fan. How long is an eternity? I'm not sure, but I believe it never ends and goes on forever.
This song was played at my wedding. He passed away 7 years ago this week. I see him every day when I look at my son and when I speak with my daughter. He gave me the 2 greatest gifts that I thank God for each and every day. We miss you Markus but I know I'll see you again.
You reacted to a Bread song a little while ago. For some reason this song reminded me of a couple of Bread songs. Please react to their songs "If" and "Diary". Thanks!
Beautiful song ... I played it often by request in the bands I was in back in the day...It is timeless. You are getting the best Musical education that anyone could want or ask for by doing these reactions , and dissections. You wont be sorry you did if you make theater or music your future. I suspect from the voices I hear you do during the intros that you are more than likely a Theater or music student ... Sad because of this Corona crap that most theaters have been on hold. Coming up on the Halloween season you need to come up with a few creepy or scary voices to intro with .
Although many songs and music are timeless in one way or another, some can be appreciated more in the context of the era or time frame in which they were written.
Did you say you were 16, jeez you give me hope, I know people who are 100 who aren't as wise continue on dude
My mother's favorite song.
Played at her funeral.
She died young with my 10 yr old brother in a car crash, so this song is rough
I was just 16, and could not even listen to this for decades.
I am so sorry that this is your memory. I am in New Zealand and I am here for you. Xxxx
God bless you, hope you have peace in your heart.
@@stevenjones71 how kind. Thank you! I do not have that peace, but I seek it always🙂
Here for you brother, 🤝🏻
Isn't it weird that he wrote such an eerie, melancholy song dedicated to his child, just before he was accidentally killed? Sometimes it seems like these young artists knew they wouldn't live to become old.
Utterly heartbreaking.
Absolutely heartbreaking.i love this song
The other guitar is played by Maury Muelheisen, who died in the same plane crash. His only album, "Gingerbread", is also worth a listen . . . or two.
Daniel, Jim Croce was an important musician in the 70's that was taken too soon in a plane crash 9-20-73 age 30. OPERATOR is great and you'll like it. I'VE GOT A NAME, NEW YORK'S NOT MY HOME, ONE LESS SET OF FOOTSTEPS, LOVER'S CROSS and I'LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE YOU IN A SONG are all awesome. Then there's the fun BAD, BAD LEROY BROWN, ROLLER DERBY QUEEN, YOU DON't MESS AROUND WITH JIM and WORKING AT THE CAR WASH BLUES. His stuff is just fun, uplifting and thought provoking 70's music that was always on the radio and provided a soundtrack for our lives during these years. You can listen to all the music you want but you'll never find better (musically and lyrically) and more varied styles than what was produced in the 70's. From hard rock to progressive to soft rock to blues to country/western to disco and dance and electronic and jazz, there's so much available to discover. Reggae(Marley) and ska too. You'll be busy for the next few years.
I was a high school senior when Croce died . . . I often wonder what he might have accomplished in a longer career - he was brilliant.
"I Got A Name" (My favorite)
"Operator"
"I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song"
"Working At The Carwash Blues".
I am so impressed with you, Daniel! You might "only" be 16 years old, but your wisdom is far beyond your years. And I am guessing your intelligence is right up there, too. Jim Croce is one of the greats. Thanks for bringing back some memories to us older folks. Thank your Dad also. He has some pretty great taste in music also!
John Prine Souveniers, and Thats the Way the World Goes Round. geez any of his too...all of em. RIP John and Jim.
Don't know if it has been mentioned but please remember "Jim Croce" was a duo. Maury Muehleisen is responsible for much of the beautiful guitar work. He also died in the plane crash but is largely forgotten by the younger generations.
I was also 16 when I first heard this song. try to listen to "photographs and memories" for sheer melodic beauty.
If no one else has we should take a moment to remember Jim's accompanist Maury Muehleisen who also perished in the plane crash his guitar accompaniment was near perfection Rip gentleman 🙏♥️
It is so good to see young people of today listening and appreciating old music. Good on you
I grew up listening to him. I love his music. It's great watching a younger generation discover music from my era.
Jim Croce was a tremendous loss .So tragic at age 30 when he was peaking in his career. Lover’s Cross is another great song along with I’ve Got a Name. One of the great story telling, singer songwriters of the 70’s along with Cat Stevens, Harry Chapin, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Carole King, Paul Simon and a host of others. I’m also going to encourage you to react to Billy Joel even though his songs seem to be difficult to keep from getting blocked. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant may be his best ever. He blended two unfinished songs into one epic. Musically. brilliant like a movie soundtrack.
I describe this song as being melancholy.
Dad hits another home run. Great singer and songwriter. If you haven't heard "Operator" it's a must..
Jim Croce...Philly boy. We were so devastated when he died. This came out right before that. Almost prophetic.
"Bad Leroy Brown" is a classic. A complete 180 from this song. A lot of fun, too.
It's hard to even imagine how many more great tunes he would have written if he wasn't killed that day. :(
So sad
That's a good one.
@@georgehampton25 Agreed, and I think the same thing about Buddy Holly.
Croce grew up in West Philadelphia and went to Upper Darby high school and Villanova University
Such a beautiful song, it reaches the soul, Powerful. Love it, Thanx Daniel
I heard that he wrote this song for his unborn or infant son and that Jim passed away soon after. A really pretty and meaningful song. Could you please also listen to Gordon Lightfoot "If You Could Read My Mind." Thanks, Daniel.
Well, he has to do Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald if he's going to do Gordon Lightfoot.
His son was eight days from his second birthday when Jim was killed. AJ Croce has since carved out his own successful musical career.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._J._Croce?wprov=sfti1
The fact that the child was not yet born makes sense as why it may sound the one to whom he was speaking is not yet alive. He’s speaking of a future event. How prophetic it would become is so sad. Jim Croce and his other guitarist Maury were like magic together. RIP to both of them.
I was going to mention how Lightfoot's song pairs so well with this one. Both are so poetic and original.
@@MultiLakewood he was almost 2 .. watch the music video it’s a home video of him with wife and son. Son was almost 2 when he died. After death his wife received a letter from him telling her that he was going to cut tours to spend time with them as missed them
Jim Croce died in an airplane crash soon after this was released. My wife passed away very young 4 years later.As life goes on and tragedy and heartache enters your life you will get the song.Life is rough.Ups and downs and all arounds I know wisdom from an old guy doesn't mean much to you now. But life throws curve balls.
It actually means a ton.
A Love song. And one of the most beautiful.
It breaks my heart to know that Jim Croce died the same year he sang this beautiful song. So so sad, yet beautiful. R.I.P. Jim xx
A true lyrical journey, right up your alley..Magnificent.
My older sister graduated from high school in 1975 and her entire class sang this to the audience. Beautifully haunting tune.
This song was written for his son who was 2 or 3 at the time of it's release. There's a video showing home movies with his son in it. There's also a video on TH-cam of his now grown up son, shown singing this song. A.J. Croce who is now 48 years old and a recording artist himself.
I remember roller skating by myself to this song on the concrete patio slab in our backyard when I was a kid. I was around 10 or 11 and loved Jim Croce's songs, probably 1975?
Back in 1976 my future wife and I played this song at a wedding. My wife played piano, I played the guitar part and another lady sang it. This song was a popular wedding song in the 70s.
Taxi by Harry Chapin and If You could read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot are a couple of other songs that would be really good to react to, both are acoustic and lyrically driven.
Time In A Bottle was used as a music track in one of the X-Men movies, in an action sequence highlighting Quicksilver, whose ability to move at superspeed also allows him to slow down time in his general vicinity. The clip can be found on TH-cam if you haven't seen it.
Song recommendations:
Six String Orchestra, by Harry Chapin
Corey's Coming, by Harry Chapin
Mr. Tanner, by Harry Chapin
30,000 Pounds of Bananas, by Harry Chapin (live version is best)
The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota, by Weird Al Yankovic
The Great Selkie, by Avalon Rising
Edge of Night, by Celtic Angels
Against The Wind, by Maire Brennan
Respect The Wind, by Van Halen
The Roof Is Leaking, by Phil Collins
The bridge, guitar work in the middle, reminds me of spanish guitar work. Beautiful!
I agree. It brought Andrés Segovia to mind.
Daniel, you're correct that we, his fans, took the song personally. I was 19 when he died. By the time the song hit #1, the song had become so entwined with the sadness of his passing that the two were one and the same.I loved the song and found it both sad and uplifting; it still is. I know this "take" is wrong because it was written for his son, but I always felt it was a song for all of us. For me, the "you" in the song is me personally. And the "you" is Daniel specifically. And the "you" is everyone who is enlightened by Croce's perspective. It's like he left a message asking to us to let him be our muse for awhile. It's beautiful.
Actually had four Nuns perform this beautiful song at my Wedding.....When we lost Croce, it was a huge loss for all of us.
Harry Chapan has some good lyrics. All his songs tell stories. You've probably heard "Cats in the Cradle". If not that's a good one.
John G. Taxi is my favorite by him.
Harry Chapin has albums full of great story songs. If you're new to his music check out his first live album, "Greatest Stories Live".
@@miketocci Go for The Sniper.
He has a good voice and love most of his songs
My fave Jim Croce song! 🎧 💓 🎶
Songs like these come straight from the deepest recesses of one's soul. The guy was deep.
Later, when I read Harry Potter and learned about the “Mirror of Erised” I thought of Time in a Bottle. Dumbledore had said. “The happiest man would look in the mirror and see himself just as he was”. Like “ if I had a box just for wishes and dreams that had never come true, the box would be empty except for the memory of how they were answered by you” ...A hauntingly beautiful song.
When one thinks about the untimely death of Croce before this song charted as a single, the song takes on so much more meaning. Daniel, thank you for reacting to one of my all time favs and Dad, thank you for exposing me to this amazing singer/songwriter.
I know, isn't it lovely Lara? Even for us oldies..he brings our memories back...and OH! As he is inspired to try on his guitar, that just won him a million Infinity "Likes" from me!!
When I was a kid (1973?) the story was the record company was moving on to another single from his next album. This song came up to be used in the movie "She Lives" about a cancer survivor. ABC TV was flooded with calls about the song the next day (and after) that the record company put it out as a single.
Styx, Boston, and Jim Croce all in the same day, that's a good day. I subscribe to several music reaction and performing channels, I find myself making time every day for yours.
That's awesome, I'm honored to hear it:) Thank all the incredible people like your fine self who both encourage me and help me put out fun content, and suggest these timeless classics I shall carry to my dying day.
After I wrote response, I decided to be a patron. Rooting hard for your TH-cam rise!
@@georgewodicka4839 Wow, thank you!! I appreciate it:) Patrons have access to some exclusive content as well as a chat community on discord and priority requests.
@@DiconDissectionalReactions Look forward to checking all these things out. It's MY pleasure.
@@DiconDissectionalReactions , I don't know if you'll see this or not since it's now months after you did this video. However, when you said you were 16, I literally paused and went back THREE times to make sure I heard you right! I'm a subscriber and have watched many of your videos, and thought you were actually college age! I don't want to be responsible for giving you an inflated ego (and I don't think you would), but I would love to know what your I.Q. is! I was a teacher for many years (now 65 years old), and you are one of the most intelligent, insightful, well-spoken, wisely perceptive young men I've ever seen and heard -- truly!! Needless to say, I'm extremely impressed by your communicative ability. I KNOW you will go far, and I will continue to subscribe to your channel! God bless you and all your endeavors, my friend!
Beautiful arrangement and lyrics to this song!
Melancholy: a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.
Pensive: engaged in, involved, or reflecting deep or serious thought.
But listen to how the melody and change from minor to major reflects the mood.
Often, when we're filled with joy there's a shadow to it where we can't help but reflect on all the other emotions that can go with it.
This is one of my favourites songs for this reason.
So many good pop radio hits in the 70's. So many sad ones too. Like this. Such beautiful, heartfelt songs, but really hard to listen to sometimes. Songs like Wildfire, I'm Not In Love, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, I Honestly Love You, Cats In The Cradle, Without You, All By Myself.....on and on.
Maury muehleisen played guitar with Jim. He died in the same crash and was a great artist on his own. He did a " A Song I heard" that was amazing
This song is like opening a music box.
Yes Daniel, it is an awesome song.
Harry Chapin and Jim Croce are/were very good story tellers in their day. Sad that Jim Croce passed away as he did. Very sad.
The guitar is very Renaissance style.. has very Baroque essance to it.. Beautiful and haunting classic.
The harpsichord gives it that sort of eerie feeling. BTW you're very self aware at 16. I guess I was a late bloomer in that regard.
Right.
Yes, the harpsichord adds a certain eeriness to the song which makes it magical. I recently read an interesting story told by Tommy West, one of Jim's producers, on how the harpsichord came to be added to the song. Tommy was the person playing the instrument. Here is a snippet of the article:
The arrangement features a harpsichord that producer Tommy West discovered had been left in the mixing studio: "The night before we were going to mix, I was watching a horror movie on TV, and something must have lodged in my brain because when I walked into the studio the next day, I saw this harpsichord sitting in a corner and got an idea. A jingle company had used it on a session and in walked a couple of guys from SIR [Studio Instruments Rental] to haul it away. I asked them to take a lunch break and told Bruce to put a couple of mics on it. He was whining that it was out of tune, but I asked him to let me try something. I added two tracks of harpsichord, told the movers they could remove it, walked into Jerry's office and asked if I could borrow the electric bass that was sitting on his couch, played that on just the second verse and the outro, and that was that! Radio compression worked in our favor on that record. It made the harpsichord blend with the two guitars in an unusual way. But we thought this record would only be an album cut." - www.laurelcanyonuk.com/lcm-classics-blog/2017/12/27/time-in-a-bottle-jim-croce-1972
The saddest part of this is that Jim never lived to see that he'd made it. He had actually written his wife a letter that said he was going to retire from performing and write poetry. He wanted to stay home and raise his son with his wife. Then on September 20, 1973 he and his accompanist Maury Melheuse(sic) died in a plane crash.
Love Jim. The lord took him way too soon. Great reaction!
As we get older, our memories of loved ones and friends who have passed away are all we have left.. If we could have every memory in a bottle, or locked away somewhere safe, we could live the experience of that one great memory, over again, anytime we chose. Our memories fade somewhat, as we age. With that comes the saying, “ If I knew then what I know now...” . We learn as we grow. IE: if I had known how this decision was going to turn out, I would have made a better decision. Some of us decide late in life what our passion is or career could have been. Once we realize this, there’s no time to peruse them because we’re living life. Jim had a grasp of this when he wrote this song. It’s a pity so many good, talented people have passed away, and some very young. Can you imagine what songs could have come from Jim Morrison, or Jimi Hendrix by now? ✌🏻
I still think this is one of the sweetest songs ever.
every parents wish for their children -- impossible to achieve but it is in most parents hearts. thanks for the reaction
Back in Junior High school in Brooklyn, I was asked to bring in a poem to read to my english class. I chose the lyrics to Time in a bottle.
What, you mean your Dad isn't a patron? At least he has honorary patronage (and pretty damn good taste from what we've seen so far). The 70s singer-songwriter genre will be up your street in a similar, yet completely different, way to the prog stuff I reckon. Two guys you should check out sooner rather than later are Gordon Lightfoot and Harry Chapin (I mean if you like a great storyteller Harry was the man - and another one who died way too young - Gord's still with us, is 81 and just released a new album this year, so quite a contrast there -equally great storyteller though!).
I would add Cat Stevens to that list.
Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg are out there too, for starters.
Now you're talking... I'd throw Loggins and Messina into that same group. As far as Chapin, the song everyone knows, of course, is Cats in the Cradle, but Taxi is my absolute favorite of his.
"The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot, another I would LOVE to see your thoughts. There is a great, perfectly timed video lyrical video on this song on TH-cam. Shocked if it wasn't one of your top viewed reactions. 55 MILLION views.
When my ex-wife and I were dating, this was her favorite song. On our first Christmas I bought her a "box made for wishes and dreams that had not come true". It was empty. A calendar for days without end. And an hour glass, time in a bottle. I told her, "guess the song". She got it when she opened the hour glass.
Loved your comment about a music box in a horror movie. Made me laugh out loud. You should react to the band called Bread. It's nothing like that. I enjoy your reactions! Thanks!
One of my favorites of his.Great lyrics and music.What I will remember about this song is seeing Glen Campbell sing it in concert with The Buffalo Philharmonic prior to his bout with dementia which led to his passing.
Croce's cousin, Pat, was well known in Philadelphia as a fitness trainer, physical therapist who worked up the corporate ladder of Comcast-Spectacor, becoming an executive with the Philadelphia 76ers.
This is sad, but get the tissues out for "Tears For Heaven" from Eric Clapton, about his son Conor Clapton, a 4 1/2 year old who died a senseless and tragic death I don't want to describe, back in 1991. So sad.
Tender is the word that comes to my mind.
Jim and Ingrid Croce had a son named A.J. who has inherited his father's musical talents. He plays a mean jazz piano. They ran a nightclub here in San Diego for years. Ingrid and my Mom were friends.back in the day. He died way too young. After the plane crash, Ingrid figured out that his managers and agents had been screwing him over for years. They were left with almost nothing. She started a restaurant just to feed her kid. Over the years, as A.J.s talents started to show, they added a nightclub. They called it The Top Hat Bar and Grill which is the name of another Croce song.
Last post here, check out the solo album in 1970 by Maury Muehleisen. th-cam.com/video/C4UK8Ra8TYA/w-d-xo.html
Who is he? He played guitars with Jim Croce on "Time in a Bottle". In-fact, he arranged/composed/played much of the guitar arrangements on "Time in a bottle" as well as the songs on Croce's last album. They were basically a team with Jim being in the spotlight. He died along with Jim on the plane that day. He was only 24. He was 20-21 when he did this solo album (his only album). Maury was not the great vocalist Jim was but you can clearly tell Maury was a very good composer since he wrote/sang all the songs on this solo album of his. "Time in a bottle" is what it is due to both Jim and Maury. Gingerbreadd is a very good album that deserves way more recognition than it ever got. Deserves a listen.
This song was written for his son Adrian.
One song you might want to consider checking out, especially with your interest in dissecting lyrics, is ‘American Pie’ by Don McLean. To my knowledge Don has never come out and explained the lyrics, but there have certainly been enough people analyzing the song that there is some general consensus on certain points. I know you are in the process of learning a lot of this music history so some of the many details in the song might escape your current level of deduction. Without wanting to give too much away there are lyrics that refer to the ‘the day the music died’ which most think is a reference to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. He also references the King, who most assume is Elvis Presley and the Jester who is thought to be Bob Dylan and the ‘marching band’ being the Beatles ( referencing Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band). That’s barely scratching the surface of the historical music references in the song and in fact it’s my understanding that there have actually been courses in college dedicated to deciphering the lyrics to this song. Anyway, I thought you’d get a kick out of diving into that song and seeing what you came up with. Cheers!
I interpret this great song as showing Jim's intense love for not only his woman but also his young son who he was singing this to in the video of them outdoors on their farm.. Its more than wishful thinking but is him imagining an eternal perfect love. Its the ideal love we all hope to have someday. I imagine this perfect love in Heaven.
Such a good songwriter. There are some great live recordings of him that you should check out. Just him and Maury Mueheissen who accompanied him on guitar. Maury dies in the same crash. He was so entertaining live, telling stories of how he wrote the songs (never saw him personally). If you listen to more Croce, Operator (That’s Not the Way it Feels) is my next fav. Also, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, and I’ve Got a Name are excellent. Unfortunately his discography is too short, but man there are some gems. Cheers.
PS - you should look up the tab for this one. It’s a great finger picking exercise, and I think you could play it. There are two guitar parts. I remember figuring them out when I was in college (didn’t have all the tab at your fingertips back then). I recorded it on my 4-track and was pretty impressed with how close my transcription was when I finally found the tab years later.
Believe it or not the most touching performance of this song for me was this version from the Muppet Show: th-cam.com/video/XF8ZgguyQ3Y/w-d-xo.html
I still love the muppet show, so... Think I'll have to watch this now:)
See? I told you that if I start just scrolling your channel, there are SO MANY Fabulous songs, that I don't have enough time to watch/listen to them all:) So chuffed that you are reviewing Croce..and at the risk of having missed it...Bread, is another group with the lyrics/poetry as such that still is as timeless enough to touch even young hearts like yours:) love from across the pond as always...ladybudd...XXX
I didn't remember how he passed away but was saddened at the time for I enjoyed his music.
This is that song ! My wife and I claimed this as " our song" when we were dating it was always on the radio and we always listened to the lyrics and took them personally!
I’m trying to decide which Harry Chapin song to request....
They're all good. My all time favorite is Better Place To Be (live version from "Greatest Stories Live")
That's my recommendation, too! “Better place to be.”
big croce fan.. a personal favorite that gets overlooked "cotton mouth river"
I’d like to suggest Bad Bad Leroy Brown. Just a lot of fun. No heavy messages on that one.
Keep it up Daniel. I really enjoy seeing these songs through fresh eyes.
Dearest Daniel, Here I am with another recommendation! Artist: k. d. lang (this is the way she spells it - in lower case letters). Song: “Crying” th-cam.com/video/Or-0aIHtD2Q/w-d-xo.html This I’d from 1993, a talk show on Australian TV. There is two minutes of an interview which gives useful information about the song, followed by what I think is one of her best performances of the song. Her voice is a true phenomenon - once in a generation. Beauty, power, control - she dazzles me. Enjoy!
I agree, it is rather haunting. In my opinion, songs that are rather haunting such as “Time In A Bottle” by Jim Croce, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot, and “Ode to Billy Joe” by Bobbie Gentry, tend to stand the test of time. In other words, once you hear these songs, you’ll never forget them.
Great song! Everyone remembers it well!
It's lyrical poetry.
Time in a Bottle was used for a TV movie called "She Live's lead guitar about a girl with cancer...Funny your name is Daniel...my only sibling, my brother Daniel, passed away July 2020 and Thought I'd never be able to sit through this song ever again. thanks for sittin' in for him. BTW you should be a literature teacher....
Twentieth thumb; twenty first comment. This song was one of my first 45s I bought.
Should check out cat Stevens song father and son. He does both parts of the father and son points of view.
The background was made from a harpsichord. It seems this instrument was popular in the 60s. There are quite a few songs that featured one.
Most Millennials know this song from "X Men Days Of Future Past". The scene where Quick Silver disarms a bunch of security guards in a kitchen. He moves so fast that it's like freezing time, hence the song. It also is kind of cool that the song came out in 1973 which is the year that Wolverine is sent back in time so it's a perfect fit.
I only saw the first X-Men film, then saw a bit of footage from the one Deadpool was in and decided the series wasn't worth it (at least for me:)
Lovely flash back. I agree you might be interested in Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald. Also, maybe some Cat Stevens, not the big hits but deep cuts like On The Road To Findout (spiritual seeking) or 18th Avenue (a bit weirder/almost prog).
Another great Cat Stevens track would be Ruins
🇨🇦❤️I always cry when I hear this song, but that’s a good thing. Thank you for this review.
We may not realize how important some moments are until much later in our lives. Frustrations and conflict are components that you always have to brace yourself for and it’s absolutely necessary to experience them as a young person in the relative safety of the family home to help you understand that you have the strength to deal with whatever the world throws at you.
Genuine loving kindness is what we all want most along with the three A’s, attention, acceptance and affection. We hope we’re not misunderstood and working hard to understand others is a great way to learn.
This song helped me to learn all of these things and when Mr. Croce died, many people, like me, felt his loss keenly, particularly because of this song.
The lyrics of the song Hold On remind me very strongly of you, because you clearly understand how music impacts our lives.
“Music hold the secret,
To know it can make you whole
It's not just a game of notes,
It's the sound inside your soul
The magic of the melody
Runs through you like a stream
The notes they play flow through your head
Like a dream”
-Triumph-recorded in 1978
Love to see young people discover all this magic. Moving a bit out of the amazing 70s. The entire Jeff Buckley -Grace- album is a gift that keeps on giving. But starting with Grace the song will do. If you don't already know the album, you will actually feel blessed after... RIP Jeff
Except Jeff was from the 90's. His father Tim, also a muso was from the 70's and IMO, was a better muso.
So sweet young man. I know you won’t see this but you will love Cat Stevens.
I did indeed love the one Cat Stevens song me and my dad listened to together, and will be doing more of his work in the future:)
Really enjoying your channel. I grew up with this music and appreciate your appreciation of these timeless clasdics. I am also a huge Jethro Tull fan. How long is an eternity? I'm not sure, but I believe it never ends and goes on forever.
Another of his with lyrics worth dissecting, is Which Way Are You Goin'?
' Have to say I love you in a song. '
"Hopeless hope..." Great summary!
"Poetry". 'nuff said!
Ps....the box.....I LOVE it when I get to watch and SEE a song lyric CLICK with you!! :)
This song was played at my wedding. He passed away 7 years ago this week. I see him every day when I look at my son and when I speak with my daughter. He gave me the 2 greatest gifts that I thank God for each and every day. We miss you Markus but I know I'll see you again.
He didn't know he was writing his own perfect elegy....
One of a handful of postumous #1 songs.
You reacted to a Bread song a little while ago. For some reason this song reminded me of a couple of Bread songs. Please react to their songs "If" and "Diary". Thanks!
Beautiful song ... I played it often by request in the bands I was in back in the day...It is timeless. You are getting the best Musical education that anyone could want or ask for by doing these reactions , and dissections. You wont be sorry you did if you make theater or music your future. I suspect from the voices I hear you do during the intros that you are more than likely a Theater or music student ... Sad because of this Corona crap that most theaters have been on hold. Coming up on the Halloween season you need to come up with a few creepy or scary voices to intro with .
Although many songs and music are timeless in one way or another, some can be appreciated more in the context of the era or time frame in which they were written.
Daniel, make sure to also watch the Muppet Show's moving version of the song!