Now Is The Time marked a period when Ian got serious about writing again and producer Bjørn Nessjø was key to this development. After the slack 1980s period Ian considers this as his first decent song. Hunter started playing it during the summer of 1991 with The Mats Ronander Band and the Swedish covers band The Few; it was especially ready after the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
Hunter has been known to be able to write personal, heartfelt songs about musical figures he has been associated with and this one is about Freddie Mercury from Queen There is a clever line revealing the subject as "that crazy little planet," i.e., Mercury, "he was a friend of mine."
Ian and Freddie had a strong professional relationship and Hunter was impressed with him as one of the nicest real stars that he had met. The Freddie Ian knew was always outrageous, real, nice, and as crazy as a loon: the archetypal rock star. Hunter he thought of Queen as "lovely blokes" going back to the early days of Mott when they were on the same bill.
There is a live version from 2015.
Now Is The Time
(Ian Hunter)
I can smile
On a warm summer day
I can laugh
I can listen to the children play
But I'm going to miss
The killer with the kiss
He was a friend of mine
Now is the time
Now is the time
It's going to rain
Hope it don't rain on you
There's going to be a lot of pain
Before this thing is through
If Jesus was alive
He'd be standing on the M5
Holding up a neon sign
Screaming now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time
So many people can't see
They think that love is blind
But it ain't free
There's a line
So many people have crossed
And now their love is lost
Say goodbye
My funny valentine
Now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time
I can run
Just as far as my eyes can see
And I'm free, yeah,
Just as free as I want to be
But I won't ever forget
That crazy little planet
He was a friend of mine
Now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time
Now is the time
Now Is The Time | 5:54 | Originally issued on The Artful Dodger. |
Now Is The Time (live 16-18th January 2015) | 5:20 | This live version (recorded at the Garden Shimokitazawa, Tokyo Japan) was released on Bag Of Tricks (Vol 3)(box set only). |