My Time of Day
I have surprised myself by becoming a morning person. Somewhere over the past year and a half I have shifted to getting up very early. I’m talking about waking up at 4:30 AM! This has brought with it the requisite “early to bed” so I’m still getting sleep, but my body has shifted to this new time frame.
I like it! It’s amazing to sit down to breakfast at 9 AM and realize that I’ve been working for over 4 hours. I’m getting a LOT done, and it’s uninterrupted time. No phone calls or distractions, just good work time.
I’ve had clients or podcast guests comment that they got an email from me at 5:00 AM. This change does surprise me, as most of my life I’ve been someone who struggled in the morning and who often stayed up late when inspired on a music arrangement or other project.
In the past I’ve felt cloudy in the morning and tired, but this has changed. I wish I had some brilliant advice to share to help you make this happen if interested, but I’m honestly not sure what brought this on. It just seemed that one Fall morning when the time changed I just started earlier. I will also admit that I’ve been dating a guy who was getting up early to work out and I seemed to unconsciously synchronize with his schedule. However it happened, I have found it to be a good change for me.
This has reminded me of one of my favorite songs by the great Frank Loesser, a real hero of mine. “My Time of Day” is a song from the brilliant musical “Guys and Dolls.” I’ve always found this song to be one of my favorites in a show packed with classic songs, though it could well be the least known song from the show. It’s a real hidden gem. In his biography, Frank Loesser explains that this song was personal to him. He was someone who loved to get up at 3 or 4 am to work, finding it a time of great inspiration and productivity. I share the lyrics from this song, which was so personal to him, as it is also now personal to me. Sang in the musical by Sky Masterson, it’s truly a masterpiece.
My time of day is the dark time
A couple of deals before dawn
When the street belongs to the cop
And the janitor with the mop
And the grocery clerks are all gone
When the smell of the rainwashed pavement
Comes up clean, and fresh, and cold
And the streetlamp light
Fills the gutter with gold
That’s my time of day
My time of day
And you’re the only doll I’ve ever wanted to share it with me
Hear the song on YouTube
“My Time of Day” from the 1992 Revival Cast Recording of “Guys and Dolls” sang by the great Peter Gallagher
Tim Hinton
March 26, 2021
