Jim Croce - Time in a Bottle - Guitar Lesson

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Jim Croce - Time in a Bottle - Guitar Lesson

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You Don't Mess Around With Jim album cover
You Don't Mess Around With Jim
1972 2:29
Jim Croce Folk Rock 1972 Dm minor
Capo Advisor 0 Dm minor · Original key

Time in a Bottle


"Time in a Bottle" is a song by singer-songwriter Jim Croce, originally appearing on his 1972 album You Don't Mess Around with Jim. The song gained widespread attention after Croce's death in a plane crash in September 1973, eventually reaching number one in the United States. For electric guitar players, it offers an elegant fingerpicking pattern and gentle chord progressions that reward players focused on expressive, clean technique and dynamic control.

  • The song appeared on Croce's 1972 ABC album You Don't Mess Around with Jim, his third studio record.
  • It became Croce's second and final number one single in the United States, reaching the top after his death.
  • The track was featured in the 1973 ABC made-for-television movie She Lives!, expanding its audience before chart success.