"Time Will Crawl" is the second track on David Bowie

David Bowie

David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

's album Never Let Me Down

Never Let Me Down

Never Let Me Down is an album by David Bowie, released in April 1987. Written over a 3-month period and recorded in Switzerland, Bowie regarded the album at the time as a "move back to rock 'n roll music...

and was issued as the second single from the album.

The lyric is themed around the pollution and destruction of the planet by industry (Bowie has cited hearing of the Chernobyl disaster

Chernobyl disaster

The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...

 in April 1986 as the genesis of the lyric), and is often praised by critics for its restrained production compared to Bowie’s other work of the era. Interviewed in 1987 and asked about the lyrical content of "Time Will Crawl," Bowie said it "deals with the idea that someone in one's own community could be the one responsible for blowing up the world." Bowie also stated at the time that it was his favorite song from the album, and later put the song on his list of all-time favorites.

In 2008, David Bowie released a newly-recorded version of the song (the "MM Remix") on his iSelect

ISELECT

iSelect is a David Bowie compilation CD first released 29 June 2008 in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland only....

 album.

Music video

The video clip, directed by Tim Pope

Tim Pope

Timothy Michael Pope is a film director most famous for his music videos, having directed feature films, and for a brief pop career.-Early life and career:...

, was made during rehearsals for Bowie’s Glass Spider Tour

Glass Spider Tour

In 1987, David Bowie embarked on The Glass Spider Tour in support of the album Never Let Me Down alongside famed guitarist Peter Frampton. The tour was named after the album track "Glass Spider." The concert tour was the most ambitious by Bowie up to that date, surpassing the Serious Moonlight Tour...

. Mimicking a fly-on-the-wall documentary, this would preview some of the elaborate routines used on the tour, and also features tour guitarist Peter Frampton

Peter Frampton

Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...

, though he does not actually appear on the recording itself.

7": EMI / EA237 (UK)

1. "Time Will Crawl" – 4:18
2. "Girls" – 4:13

7": EMI / EAP237 (UK)

1. "Time Will Crawl (Single Version)" – 4:04
2. "Girls (Single Edit)" – 4:13

This limited 7" single's sleeve folded out into a double-sided poster, and contains a slightly shorter edit of the title track.

12": EMI / 12EA237 (UK)

1. "Time Will Crawl (Extended Dance Mix)" – 6:03
2. "Time Will Crawl (LP Version)" – 4:18
3. "Girls (Extended Edit)" – 5:35

• Extended Dance Mix by David Richards

12": EMI / 12EAX237 (UK)

1. "Time Will Crawl (Dance Crew Mix)" – 5:43
2. "Time Will Crawl (Dub)" – 5:23
3. "Girls (Japanese version)" – 4:06

• Dance Crew Mix by Chris Lord-Alge
  Chris Lord-Alge
  Chris Lord-Alge is a mixer who has worked on various albums. He is the brother of Tom Lord-Alge, another audio engineer. Chris Lord-Alge is known for his extreme use of dynamic range compression in both hardware and software plug-in versions....
  
  

12": EMI / V-19247 (US)

1. "Time Will Crawl (Extended Dance Mix)" – 6:03
2. "Time Will Crawl (LP Version)" – 4:18
3. "Girls (Extended Edit)" – 5:35
4. "Girls (Japanese version)" – 4:06

Download: EMI / iEA237 (UK)

1. "Time Will Crawl" – 4:18
2. "Girls" – 4:13
3. "Time Will Crawl (Extended Dance Mix)" – 6:03
4. "Time Will Crawl (Dub)" – 5:23
5. "Girls (Extended Edit)" – 5:35

• released 2007

Download: EMI / iEAX237 (UK)

1. "Time Will Crawl" – 4:18
2. "Girls (Japanese version)" – 4:06
3. "Time Will Crawl (Dance Crew Mix)" – 5:43
4. "Time Will Crawl (Dub)" – 5:23
5. "Girls (Extended Edit)" – 5:35

• released 2007

Other releases

• It appeared on the following compilations:
  • The Glass Spider Tour
    Glass Spider
    Glass Spider is a video album by David Bowie, recorded during the 1987 Glass Spider Tour at Sydney Entertainment Centre.-Release details:...
    
    (2007) - (live audio)
  • Bowie - The Video Collection
    Bowie – The Video Collection
    Bowie – The Video Collection is a video album by David Bowie, released in 1993. It included most official music videos made by Bowie between 1972 and 1990.-Track listing:...
    
    (1993) - (video)
  • Best of Bowie
    Best of Bowie
    Best of Bowie is a career-spanning greatest hits album by multi-platinum recording artist David Bowie. The songs range from his second album to 2002. It was released 35 years after his first album, David Bowie....
    
    (2002) - (audio in some regions, video in all regions)
  • The Platinum Collection (2005)
  • The Best of David Bowie 1980-1987
    The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987
    The Best of David Bowie 1980-1987 is a David Bowie compilation album. The CD was originally released by EMI as part of The Platinum Collection in 2005/06. The 2007 release is part of EMI's two-disc Sight & Sound series, each of which features a CD and DVD of material from the same artist...
    
    (2005/2006) - (audio and video)
  • iSelect
    ISELECT
    iSelect is a David Bowie compilation CD first released 29 June 2008 in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland only....
    
    (2008) - (new remix)

Production credits

• Producer
  Record producer
  A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
  
  s:
  • David Bowie
    David Bowie
    David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
    
    
  • David Richards
    Dave Richards
    Sir Dave Richards is the chairman of the FA Premier League, member of the Football Association 's Board, chairman of the FA's international committee, president of the European Professional Football Leagues organisation, chairman of UEFA's Professional Football Committee and former chairman of...
    
    

• Musician
  Musician
  A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
  
  s:
  • David Bowie
    David Bowie
    David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
    
    : Vocals
  • Carlos Alomar
    Carlos Alomar
    Carlos Alomar is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician...
    
    : Guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
    
    
  • Sid McGinnis
    Sid McGinnis
    Sid McGinnis is an American musician and guitarist, best known for his work on the CBS Television show, Late Show with David Letterman, as part of the CBS Orchestra....
    
    : Guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
    
    
  • Erdal Kizilcay
    Erdal Kizilcay
    Erdal Kizilcay is a multi-instrumental musician of Turkish birth who has worked with, among others, David Bowie. He lives in Aegerten, Switzerland.-With David Bowie:*Never Let Me Down...
    
    : Bass
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
    
    , Drum
    Drum
    The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
    
    s, Keyboards
    Keyboard instrument
    A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
    
    

Cover versions

• Burning Gates - The Dark Side of David Bowie: A Tribute to David Bowie (1997)

Chart positions

Chart	Position
Canada Singles Chart	5
US Mainstream Rock Tracks	7
UK Singles Chart	33