You've Got Time Explained

You've Got Time
Cover:Regina Spektor - You've Got Time.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Regina Spektor
Album:Music from Orange Is the New Black
Released:[1]
Genre:Post-punk revival
Length: (full version)
(credits)
(chamber version)
Label:Sire Records
Producer:Rob Cavallo
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"You've Got Time" is the main title theme song for the Netflix Original Series Orange Is the New Black, written, composed and performed by Regina Spektor. The song was nominated in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.

A chamber orchestra version was later released on July 26, 2019, to coincide with the release of the seventh and final season of Orange Is the New Black.[2]

Composition

The song was written specifically for Orange Is the New Black by Regina Spektor, who was approached by the show's creator, Jenji Kohan. Kohan said, "I listened to Regina's albums obsessively while writing the series, so I immediately thought of her for our theme song."[3] Additionally Spektor had previously performed a cover of "Little Boxes," the theme song used on Kohan's series Weeds.[4]

Kohan gave Spektor access to rough edits of the episodes while the first season was in production. Spektor said she composed the song while "thinking about the idea of what it must be like to be in prison and the different states of mind." After recording the song with producer Rob Cavallo, she brought the demo to Kohan, initially apprehensive that Kohan would not like it. "We took out the rough mix and listened to it with headphones and sort of held our breath, like, 'Is she going to like it?' And then she said, 'This is fucking awesome, I love it! It’s going to fit really well!'"[5]

Reception

The song has been well received. Casey Cipriani of Indiewire wrote that the song's lyrics suggesting animals trapped in a cage was ideal for Orange Is the New Black.[6] Garin Pirnia of Rolling Stone noted that after the song begins with Spektor's "aggressive" guitar playing, You've Got Time' softens during the bridge, though, generating an aura of hope. When Spektor sings the title refrain, it works literally for the prison motif but also alludes to the show's themes of redemption and forgiveness."[4]

"You've Got Time" was nominated in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. It was Spektor's first Grammy nomination.[7]

The song was covered by The Wind and The Wave for its 2015 album, Covers One.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: New Single! "You've Got Time". ReginaSpektor.com. July 8, 2013. June 16, 2015. June 22, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150622114315/http://www.reginaspektor.com/news/new-single-youve-got-time. dead.
  2. News: New Version Of "You've Got Time" From Orange Is The New Black Is Out Now!. ReginaSpektor.com. July 25, 2019. August 23, 2019. July 23, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200723144109/https://www.reginaspektor.com/news/new-version-you-ve-got-time-orange-new-black-out-now-24631. dead.
  3. Regina Spektor's original theme song for the Netflix dramedy Orange Is the New Black — hear it here and see the credits sequence. June 16, 2015. Entertainment Weekly. July 8, 2013.
  4. Pirnia. Garin. Regina Spektor: My 'Orange Is the New Black' Theme 'Really Fits . June 16, 2015. Rolling Stone. August 1, 2013.
  5. News: Spiegel. Amy Rose. How Regina Spektor Wrote The "Orange Is The New Black" Theme Song. 16 June 2015. BuzzFeed. August 1, 2013.
  6. News: Cipriani. Casey. How the Closing Credit Songs in 'Orange is the New Black' Suit Each Episode. June 16, 2015. Indiewire. June 20, 2014.
  7. News: 'Orange Is The New Black' Scored Grammy Nomination For Theme Song 'You've Got Time' By Regina Spektor. June 16, 2015. Huffington Post. December 7, 2013.
  8. News: The Wind And The Wave Set To Release Covers One Ep On February 17th - RCA Records. 6 April 2016. RCA Records. en-US.