Praying for Time

"Praying for Time"
Single by George Michael
from the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
B-side "If You Were My Woman"
Released 13 August 1990
Format
Recorded Autumn 1989
Genre Pop
Length 4:41
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) George Michael
Producer(s) George Michael
George Michael singles chronology
"Kissing a Fool"
(1988)		 "Praying for Time"
(1990)		 "Waiting for That Day"
(1990)

"Kissing a Fool"
(1988)		 "Praying for Time"
(1990)		 "Waiting for That Day"
(1990)
"Praying for Time"
Single by Carrie Underwood
Released 9 April 2008
Recorded 9 April 2008 in the Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, L.A., CA, US
Genre
Length 3:31
Label Sony
Songwriter(s) George Michael
Carrie Underwood singles chronology
"Last Name"
(2008)		 "Praying for Time"
(2008)		 "Just a Dream"
(2008)

"Last Name"
(2008)		 "Praying for Time"
(2008)		 "Just a Dream"
(2008)

"Praying for Time" is a song written and performed by George Michael, released on Epic Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the US in 1990. It spent one week in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Michael's ninth number one. It was also the last solo single from Michael to occupy the top of the chart in the US.

History

The song was Michael's first single in almost two years, entering the UK Singles Chart in August 1990.

A dark and sombre reflection on social ills and injustice, it was hailed by critics, with James Hunter of Rolling Stone magazine describing the song as "a distraught look at the world's astounding woundedness. Michael offers the healing passage of time as the only balm for physical and emotional hunger, poverty, hypocrisy and hatred."[1]

The single peaked at number six in the UK, but it was his ninth number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA. The song remained in the Billboard top 40 for ten weeks.[2] It was the first song of political motivation he had released as a single since his earliest days with Wham!.

The song was the first of five released in the UK from the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, although it was the only one of the quintet to make the UK top 10.

Music video

While George Michael refused to appear in videos to support the album, an experimental video clip directed by Michael Borofsky was released for "Praying for Time", featuring only the lyrics of the song with a blue and black background that, at the end of the clip, reveals itself to be the image on the cover of the album. The completely un-George Michael style video quickly became a buzz clip on MTV, and stayed in rotation on most video networks for weeks. Similarly, the commercial single had no cover photo, only words. Some have speculated that the style of the video was influenced by Prince's similar promo clip for Sign 'O' The Times released three years previously.

American Idol

The song was performed by Carrie Underwood for the 2008 Idol Gives Back mini-marathon on 9 April 2008. In a matter of 24 hours, Underwood's rendition of "Praying for Time" reached number 10 on the Hot Digital Songs chart, with all proceeds being donated to charity. It also peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the week of 26 April 2008. George Michael performed the song during the 2008 American Idol finale on 21 May 2008.

Track listing

7": Epic / GEO 1 (UK)

  1. "Praying for Time" – 4:40
  2. "If You Were My Woman" (live) – 4:05

CD: Epic / GEO C1 (UK)

  1. "Praying for Time" – 4:40
  2. "If You Were My Woman" (live) – 4:05
  3. "Waiting" (reprise) – 2:27

Cassette, 7" and CD: Columbia 73512 (US)

  1. "Praying for Time" – 4:40
  2. "If You Were My Woman" (live) – 4:05

Charts

Chart (1990) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[3] 16
Austrian Singles Chart[3] 20
Canadian The Record Top Singles[4] 1
Canadian RPM Top Singles[5] 1
Dutch Singles Chart[6] 10
French Singles Chart[3] 19
German Singles Chart[7] 19
Irish Singles Chart[8] 3
Italian Singles Chart[9] 3
Japanese Oricon Singles Chart[10] 89
New Zealand Singles Chart[3] 8
Norwegian Singles Chart[3] 2
Swedish Singles Chart[3] 9
Swiss Singles Chart[3] 6
UK Singles Chart[11] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[12] 4
Year-end chart (1990) Position
Australian Singles Chart[13] 95
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 51
Preceded by
"Close to You" by Maxi Priest		 Billboard Hot 100 number one single
(George Michael version)
13 October 1990 		Succeeded by
"I Don't Have the Heart" by James Ingram

References

  1. ↑ "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1".
  2. ↑ Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th Ed., 2004)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 George Michael - Praying for Time (song). Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  4. ↑ Lwin, Nanda. Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide (2000). Mississauga, Ont.: Music Data Canada
  5. ↑ Top Singles - Volume 52, No. 24, 27 October 1990. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  6. ↑ Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  7. ↑ Single-Chartverfolgung. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  8. ↑ The Irish Charts. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  9. ↑ Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  10. ↑ George Michael singles sales ranking. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  11. ↑ Top 75 Releases. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  12. 1 2 Praying for Time - George Michael. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  13. ↑ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart 1990 (61–100) (from The ARIA Report No. 50)". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  14. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1990". Retrieved 2009-09-15.
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