"A Little Time" is a song by English

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

group

the Beautiful South The Beautiful South were an English pop rock group formed in 1988 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, two former members of the Kingston upon Hull, Hull group the Housemartins, both of whom performed lead and backing vocals. Other members stayin ...

, the first single to be released from their second album, '' Choke''. It consists of a duet featuring vocalists Dave Hemingway and Briana Corrigan.
Produced by

Mike Hedges Mike Hedges (born 1954) is a British audio producer/engineer best known for his work with the Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Manic Street Preachers. During his career, Hedges has worked with an eclectic roster of artists ranging from rock ...

, "A Little Time" is the band's only single to reach number one on the UK singles chart, and it peaked inside the top 20 in Austria, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Lyrical content

The Beautiful South have given different interpretations about the song's meaning. Songwriter

Paul Heaton Paul David Heaton (born 9 May 1962) is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and main lyricist of the Housemartins, who had commercial success in the UK and other European countries between 1985 and 1988, releasing several singl ...

stated that "A Little Time" is about relationships in general, while co-writer

David Rotheray David Rotheray (born 9 February 1963) is an English rock and pop musician, best known for being the lead guitarist for The Beautiful South. Rotheray was born the last of five children. His parents were both intellectuals and had met through th ...

considers it an unconventional

love song A love song is a song about love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sad and emotion ...

. Briana Corrigan explained that the song encapsulates an everyday situation, as love is not always a good thing and can lead to conflict.

Critical reception

Upon its release, Nick Duerden, writing for ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

'', described the song as "a sloping country lilt that unfolds so gracefully and quietly that it is truly touching" and added that the band's "sardonic humour is present as ever". Nick Robinson of ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...

'' praised it as a "beautiful ballad" and "a tale of a crumbling relationship softly sung over a light rhythm complete with strings and piano".

Awards

The video won the 1991 Brit Awards for British Video of the Year, directed by photographer Nick Brandt, which is their only Brit Award to date. It features a fighting couple (played by Hemingway and Corrigan), a trashed house, a load of flour and feathers, and a teddy bear's head impaled on the end of a kitchen knife.

Track listings

7-inch single and Australasian CD single # "A Little Time" # "In Other Words I Hate You" UK and European CD single # "A Little Time" # "In Other Words I Hate You" # "What You See Is What You Get"

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Little Time, A 1990 singles 1990 songs 1990s ballads The Beautiful South songs Go! Discs singles Music videos directed by Nick Brandt Pop ballads Song recordings produced by Mike Hedges Songs written by David Rotheray Songs written by Paul Heaton UK singles chart number-one singles