Nick of Time (song)

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"Nick of Time"
Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time single.jpg
Single by Bonnie Raitt
from the album Nick of Time
B-side "The Road's My Middle Name"
ReleasedMay 19, 1990 (1990-05-19)
Genre Pop-rock, blues
Length3:52
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s) Bonnie Raitt
Producer(s) Don Was
Bonnie Raitt singles chronology
"Have a Heart"
(1990)		"Nick of Time"
(1990)		"Love Letter"
(1990)

"Nick of Time" is a song by American blues musician Bonnie Raitt. Taken as the third single from her 10th solo album of the same name (1989), the song was released in May 1990. The song debuted at number 94 and reached its peak of 92 a week later on the Hot 100 chart. It also earned a top 10 placement on the Adult Contemporary Chart. [1]

Contents

Composition

Raitt wrote most of the song during a week-long cabin retreat in Mendocino, California, and she recorded a homemade demo on her own. [2]

The song was inspired by a culmination of observations about aging. The first verse ("A friend of mine, she cries at night...") was taken from a conversation Raitt had with a heartbroken friend who was nearing middle age and desperately wanting a baby, and the song also featured her singing about her own parents (“I see my folks, they’re getting old…”). [3]

Raitt recalled: "In his vulnerable state I could see he was getting older and could really feel what it was like for a body to age. This whole idea of time and it being more precious as you age, I realized this would be what I'd write about." [2]

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (1990)Position
Australia (ARIA) [4] 16
Germany (GfK) [5] 73
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [6] 67
UK Singles (OCC) [7] 82
US Billboard Hot 100 [8] 92
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [9] 10

Nominations and awards

Raitt won the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards for her recording of this song. [10] Bonnie Raitt received three more wins at the ceremony, including Album of the Year. [11] In 2015 the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [12]

Other versions

Bon Iver covered the song in June 2011. A version of the cover is available on YouTube. [13] [14] His version was sampled on remixed version of Charli xcx's song "I think about it all the time" from her 2024 remix album Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat .

The song was also covered by Lake Street Dive on Fun Machine: The Sequel. [15]

References

  1. ↑ Sexton, Paul (April 7, 2020). "'Nick Of Time': Bonnie Raitt Beats The Clock To Win Grammy Glory". Udiscoovermusic. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Songfacts of 'Nick of Time'". Songfacts.com. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  3. ↑ Weiner, Natalie (March 21, 2019). "30 Years of 'Nick of Time': How Bonnie Raitt's 'Underdog Record' Swept the Grammys & Saved Her Career". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ "ARIA chart history 1988 to 2022, received from ARIA in 2022". ARIA. Retrieved December 2, 2023– via Imgur.com.
  5. ↑ "Bonnie Raitt – Nick of Time" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Bonnie Raitt – Nick of Time" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Bonnie Raitt Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Bonnie Raitt Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  10. ↑ "32nd Annual Grammy Awards – 1992". Rock On The Net. February 21, 1990. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  11. ↑ "1989 GRAMMY WINNERS". The Recording Academy. February 21, 1990. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  12. ↑ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  13. ↑ Lapatine, Scott (June 27, 2011). "Watch Bon Iver Play "I Can't Make You Love Me"/"Nick Of Time" In Studio". Stereogum. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  14. ↑ SavannahSP (June 22, 2011). Bon Iver - I Can't Make You Love Me / Nick of Time . Retrieved May 23, 2024– via YouTube.
  15. ↑ Major, Michael (July 27, 2022). "VIDEO: Lake Street Dive Release 'Nick of Time' Performance Video". BroadwayWorld .


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