About the song
There are certain songs that seem to age in reverse—gaining emotional resonance as the years pass, not because they change, but because *we* do. **Funny How Time Slips Away · Willie Nelson** is a perfect example of such a song. Written by **Willie Nelson** in 1961, this quietly devastating ballad has since become one of his signature pieces, covered by dozens of artists across genres, yet never losing the reflective melancholy at its core.
At first listen, **Funny How Time Slips Away** might seem deceptively simple. It’s a conversation—perhaps a chance meeting—between two former lovers who haven’t seen each other in some time. There’s a polite tone, a smile on the surface. The speaker asks how life has been treating the other person, only to be met with the news that they’ve moved on, found someone new. The sting of this revelation is wrapped in casual phrases, but the heartbreak lies between the lines. That’s where **Willie Nelson**’s genius as a songwriter truly shines. His lyrics don’t shout; they sigh. They don’t accuse; they accept. And somehow, that makes them all the more powerful.
Nelson’s own performance of the song—particularly in the early ’70s and later in his stripped-down acoustic sets—offers a masterclass in emotional restraint. His unique vocal phrasing, always just slightly off the beat, mimics the irregularities of real human speech and gives the song a natural, conversational rhythm. And his understated guitar work, often with that familiar nylon-stringed tone, serves as a gentle companion to the lyrics rather than a spotlight-stealer.
What gives **Funny How Time Slips Away** its enduring appeal isn’t just its craftsmanship, but its universal truth. Time *does* slip away. People drift apart, relationships fade, and we’re often left to reflect on how quietly life moves forward without asking permission. For older listeners, the song can feel especially poignant—not just because of what it says about lost love, but what it says about memory, change, and the simple passing of years.
In the grand canon of American songwriting, **Funny How Time Slips Away** stands as a quiet monument—proof that the softest songs can sometimes echo the loudest.
Video
Lyrics
… Well, hello there
My, it’s been a long, long time
How am I doing?
Oh, I guess that I’m doing fine
… It’s been so long now
And it seems now that it was only yesterday
Gee, ain’t it funny how time slips away?
… How’s your new love?
I hope that he’s doing fine?
I heard you told him
That you’d love him ’til the end of time
… Now that’s the same thing that you told me
It seems like just the other day
Gee, ain’t it funny how time slips away?
… I gotta go now
I guess I’ll see you around
I don’t know when though
Never know when I’ll be back in town
… But remember, what I tell you
That in time you’re gonna pay
And it’s surprising, how time slips away
