Verse One
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,
sometimes I close my eyes, think of days that’s rolling by,
that’s why I don’t got time to pause, linger, temporise,
that’s why they emphasise that time waits for no one,
it don’t got no way to empathise,
so I don’t jeopardise my opportunities by sitting still
and waiting for somebody who presumably can see my skill
and wanna make some money like I’m chattel
and leave me up a certain creek without a paddle, then skedaddle,
they say that time is what we want most, but what we use worst
and people waste it like it’s something we can put in reverse,
you must crazy if you thinking that your life’s a rehearsal,
where you just learning lines for a TV commercial,
I said that time waits for no man,
it’s like the friend that left in you in cold just like a snowman,
freezing your nuts off in the wilderness of life’s blizzard,
stood still like a scarecrow who’s waiting for the Wizard.
Chorus
From the moment you open your eyes,
identify and recognize, no time to waste
and jeopardise cos’ time will flash in no time,
from the seconds to the minutes, to the hours, to the days,
never waste it cos’ time will flash in no time,
to be honest, ain’t a moment that is promised,
so just do your best to flourish cos’ time will flash in no time,
hope you feeling what I’m saying and you not just here delaying,
everyday you know that time will flash…
Verse Two
I got no time to waste, so homie pick up the pace,
I’m not saying you gotta’ chase or that you can’t make mistakes,
but I know there ain’t no race you can win in a place
where you permanently seem to have your foot on the brakes,
so put your clutch down, I never saw nobody take a walk to the touchdown,
get the most from everyday, from sunup to the sundown,
life is like a egg timer, all it does is rundown,
age is nothing but a number? Yeah but it don’t come down,
I ain’t saying run round like a headless chicken with no focus,
yo’ but somehow, we gotta’ be free from this hypnosis and complacency,
I’m just trying to live my life, alleviate the latency,
occupy my days so that my time is not a vacancy,
cos’ right now is the future that we used to look forward to,
but then we push it to the side to look forward to a different point in the future,
that's all we do.
Chorus
Verse Three
From the seconds to the minutes, to the hours, to the days,
to the months, to the years, D ain’t playing no games,
I’m here laying my claims, I move like my calendar’s scorched and in flames,
Mission Impossible, do it like Cruise and Ving Rhames,
I got a book of verses, thick like the King James,
put the music out cos’ no one knows how much time remains,
they say crime don’t pay, but don’t get it twisted thinking time won’t pay,
cos’ time don’t play and all accounts get settled on an unknown day,
when it’s up, it’s up, it ain’t gone give you “one more day”,
from the poorest to the richest, from the weakest to the fittest,
from the smallest to the biggest, from the slowest to the swiftest,
from the hopeless to the gifted, those who saw and those who missed it,
from all the time you existed, I hope you make the most,
especially when in your prime,
cos’ no one in the world is gonna’ outlive time.
Funky DL is regarded as one of the most legendary and significant MC's and Producers to come out of the UK. Now globally known for delivering albums with both musical and lyrical finesse...
Substantial is one of those rare artists that truly does get better with time. This album is one of his finest works to date - make it a treasured part of your own personal collection, and thank me now! Stephanie Hilliard
The debut instrumental LP by Substantial; a wide-ranging album of upbeat, bass-heavy melodies to mellow, jazzy rhythms. Bandcamp New & Notable May 29, 2018
Big but tight energy from this album that perfectly fit the closed-up vibe of the pandemic and reminded you to call your loved ones. It feels like these important folks in Amir's life each get a bit of their vibe wrapped into the song following. Sable Knight