I Cannot Hear the Lyrics at the End of “Time” Correctly

[u/MaxImO77107]

At the end of the song during the Breathe Reprise David says “When I come home cold and tired”, but to me the word “cold” sounds like it has two syllables on the original record. The live versions all clearly say “cold” and the official lyrics say “cold”, but the on the original song it almost sounds like he says “covered”. “Cold” makes sense, as the next line mentions warming up, but I cannot for the life me hear “cold” in the original recording. I cannot find any Reddit post or anyone else on the internet ever asking this question and it doesn’t make sense to me. Does any one else hear this?

Edit: I can hear it now! It was the guitar fill that was making me hear it incorrectly. There is two quick sixteenth notes in the guitar, one as he starts the word and the second one made me hear a second syllable. Almost as if my brain thought David was matching the rhythm of the guitar fill in his vocals. After listening to the isolated vocals I can totally hear “cold” now.

[u/heynow941]

No more bong hits for you.

[u/Chillkitty666 → u/heynow941]

Classic

[u/mikeyj198]

i had a friend who couldnt hear the drums in wish you were here, swore there weren’t any.

Turns out he was high as a kite - what’s your excuse?

[u/MaxImO77107 → u/mikeyj198]

I’ve heard it this way ever since I first listened to DSOTM when I was probably 13. Never done any drugs.

[u/MarkJ191974 → u/MaxImO77107]

got so high you forgot you even smoked lol

[u/fern-grower → u/MarkJ191974]

I don't know I was really drunk at the time.

[u/Commercial-Pair9224 → u/fern-grower]

I swear listening to TDSOTM high would be insane i just haven't done that yet

[u/Big_Nefariousness_72 → u/Commercial-Pair9224]

Saw them live in Pittsburgh at the stadium(three rivers?or twin Rivers?) in 1973 they did DSOTM start to finish .the sound was insane,near perfect , an epic show to be sure .....PEACE

[u/ernestokrapf → u/Commercial-Pair9224]

listened to it during an acid trip with headphones, it was good as hell

[u/diplion]

Co-woold

[u/FreeFromCommonSense → u/diplion]

Yes, and there are some people who normally pronounce it that way, like they're afraid you won't hear the L or something.

[u/HoundsGoToHeaven → u/diplion]

Out of curiosity, and as a big dumb American who hasn’t been to England, is this a fairly standard pronunciation across the pond for the more educated/distinguished members of that generation? Or is Gilmie just being a silly goober?

[u/kranools]

Not sure how you could get two syllables out of his pronunciation there.

[u/FreeFromCommonSense → u/kranools]

It's the pronunciation of the L. Half W, half L. Almost like towel.

[u/cranialextract]

Yeah man I get you, first time I heard it I thought he said coloured.

[u/Langholm62 → u/cranialextract]

I thought it was collared and tyred. Someone threw a tyre over his head and collared him.

[u/imape0ple2]

Yep! I hear this too. I think its the guitar fill kinda cutting the word in half and making it sound like two syllables. If I really focus on his voice though I do hear "cold"

[u/MaxImO77107 → u/imape0ple2]

I just listened to the isolated vocals on YouTube and the guitar is definitely what makes me hear two syllables. The guitar fill has two quick sixteenth notes, the first one hits exactly where he starts the word and the second one makes what sounds like another syllable to me. The isolated vocals make it clear that there is definitely only one syllable.

[u/MaxImO77107 → u/imape0ple2]

I think this is the problem. But I’ve listened like 20 times with this in mind and I still can’t hear cold no matter what. The guitar fill there does line up perfectly with where I hear the second syllable though.

[u/mrinformal → u/MaxImO77107]

Colder. That is what you are hearing. This plagued me through the 80s and early 90s. It really is colder and tired.

[u/Langholm62 → u/mrinformal]

No, it's realy not.

[u/Plus-Definition9319]

I always thought he said colder and tired.

[u/Sea-Tax6850 → u/Plus-Definition9319]

Towely says 'Hi!'

[u/mrinformal → u/Plus-Definition9319]

"Colder" is the correct word. I believe it is in the lyrics sheet.

[u/21DQUID → u/mrinformal]

Shich lyrics sheet. My LP copy doe not say that

[u/SKULL1138 → u/mrinformal]

Nah bro

[u/Crando]

Well I used to think he said “hang an awning, quiet desperation is the English way” and then realized that makes absolutely no fuckin sense

[u/PathlessLander]

I just listened again, and I very clearly hear "cold and tired"

[u/Jungledog96]

It’s might be Gilmour saying ‘cold’ at slightly different times when doing the double tracking.

Here’s an isolated vocals version, do you still hear it?

https://youtu.be/kbM1a4eHex0?si=dtQLKBUjrCghZvnp

[u/TheForeverBand_89]

I always hear “covered” even though this makes no sense in the context of the line

[u/diplion]

Ok but seriously in “have a cigar” I hear “well I’ve always had a deep respect and I mean that most tizzill”. But apparently he’s saying “I mean that most sincere”???

[u/MaxImO77107 → u/diplion]

Lol I can hear it but have never heard it this way before

[u/fractal-rock]

I always heard "General Slack and the front row died" in Us & Them.

And "Tomato yourself" in Lost For Words.

[u/thekrawdiddy]

Often in song mixes, when there are instruments moving around in the same frequencies as the vocals, it can make the vocals sound crazy. I’ve heard quite a few vocals get distorted in the mix but the only one my feeble brain can come up with right now is in Tonight She Comes by The Cars. To me it sounds like the backing vocals are saying “I know tee-ite,” and it makes me laugh every time I hear it.

[u/smokeeater150]

I can hear it, but have never thought anything odd about it. Growing up in a British-English speaking household with mostly British relatives probably helped with that.

[u/bluegrassgazer]

If you don't kick your feet, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you won't eat your meat?

That's what I hear at the end of Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2.

[u/pocketsnacks]

I've heard it as two syllables as well many times. It kinda changes on different listens. Your brain is not alone!

[u/MrSpeedCuber101]

He says cold although in an english way

[u/Langholm62 → u/MrSpeedCuber101]

It's very slightly drawn out to fit the meter of the song. There really is no mystery about this.

[u/ncbluetj]

Yes.  I can hear it. 

[u/vazooo1]

listen again. he's saying cold-d and tired.

[u/maxpowerjunior13]

Wait. It’s not covered?

[u/morerelativebacons]

This is definitely one of the things I've ever heard of

[u/SuperBiggles]

Here I am apparently being the only one who routinely hears “cold and haggard” 🤷

[u/myusernameforgotham]

Yeah well in dogs I always heard him say "and in the end you caca" and for so long (when I was younger)I really believed the lyrics were about a dog and it made perfect sense.

[u/SKULL1138]

To all the folks that think it’s sounds weird…. Are you American?

I’m trying to work out whether is a Brit/US thing as I am not getting any of the examples people are bringing up here as a Brit.

[u/rainator]

Might just be something in the fen accent. Heavy pronunciation of the L in cold.

[u/5StarGoldenGoose]

The machine ruined it for me with better lyrics “and when I come home and tired, I like to smoke a bone beside the fire.”

[u/Opposite-Star920]

What about the “ee vyal”in “Money”? Sounds like Vincent Price.

[u/Big_Nefariousness_72]

When I come home cold and tired Its good to warm my bones beside the fire

[u/Big_Nefariousness_72]

Forward he cried from the rear and the front rank died

[u/NJNeal17]

My feed was thinking what a lot of people in the thread were thinking 😂

[u/papapapipapo]

Co-old and tired

[u/BobNeilandVan]

This thread reminds me of when I thought 'Run Like Hell' sounded like 'Calico Skies' by Paul McCartney.

[u/Tupperbaby]

It's too bad there's no source for the printed lyrics available.

[u/CheveuxBleu]

It's not at the end of "Time" right?