Passing the Time

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"Passing The Time" is the third song of the English blues rock band Cream from their double album Wheels of Fire, written by Ginger Baker, Cream's drummer. The song is about a lonely woman who waits for her travelling husband during winter.

[edit] Musical structure

"Passing the Time" is a jamming song in fact. It is opened by a bluesy jam, followed by a peaceful verse section. After a few verses comes another improvising section. On different releases this section is different. In 1968, when Wheels of Fire was released, it was short and quickly segued into a final verse. In 1997, on a compilation album Those Were the Days, an extended version, featuring a full-lengthed bridge, was released.

In concert, "Passing the Time" was played only once, October 4, 1968, at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, in California. Here, the bridge was replaced by an extended drum solo and the song was officially named "Scatafaragus".[1]