☝️ Key Points
- The song deals with a ended relationship and a feeling of abandonment.
- The person the song is addressed to has missed their chance and can't just come back and expect everything to be the same.
- The person is portrayed as arrogant and now has to face the consequences of their decisions.
- The singer shows little compassion and describes the person as discarded, cast aside, unfaithful, and outdated.
- The song gives insight into a relationship that didn't end well.
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'Out of Time' by the
Rolling Stones are about a broken relationship and the feeling of being abandoned. It is clear that the relationship is over and the person the song is addressed to has been away for too long to simply come back and expect everything to be the same ('You've been away for far too long / You can't come back and think you are still mine'). The repeated expression 'you're out of time' emphasizes that this person has missed their chance and it is too late to change things.
Furthermore, the impression is given that this person has overestimated themselves ('You thought you were a clever girl') and now has to live with the consequences of their decisions ('A girl who wants to run away / Discovers that she's had her day'). The singer shows little sympathy and describes them as 'out of touch', 'discarded', 'unfaithful', and 'obsolete', portraying them as out of touch, discarded, unfaithful, and obsolete. This conveys a sense of hurt and bitterness and suggests that the relationship did not end well.