“Clocks” interpretation
William Willett was the inventor of daylight saving time, and the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. Riding his horse early one summer morning, he noticed that most houses still had their blinds down, and the idea for daylight saving time occurred to him.
Lights go out and I can’t be saved
Tides that I tried to swim against
You’ve put me down upon my knees
Oh I beg, I beg and plead
In 1907 William self-published a pamphlet “The Waste of Daylight”, in which he petitioned that clocks should be advanced by 80 minutes in the summer. The evenings would then remain light for longer, increasing daylight recreation time and also saving lighting costs.
Come out of things unsaid, shoot an apple off my head
Trouble that can’t be named, tigers waiting to be tamed (singing)
You are, you are
Willett campaigned vigourously, and made several unsuccessful attempts to his pioneering idea passed into law. Only with the outbreak of the First World War was the idea taken seriously, primarily because of the need to save coal.
Confusion never stops, closing walls and ticking clocks
Come back and take you home, I could not stop, that you now know
Come out upon my seas, curse missed opportunities
Am I a part of the cure, or am I part of the disease?
Germany had already introduced the scheme when the bill was finally passed in Britain on May 17, 1916 and the clocks were advanced by an hour on the following Sunday.
And nothing else compares…
William Willett did not live to see daylight saving become law, as he died of influenza in 1915 at the age of 58. He is commemorated in Petts Wood by a memorial sundial, set permanently to daylight saving time.
Home, home, where I wanted to go…
June 16 2008 01:15 am | Did you know!? and interpretation
