In “Unchained Melody,” The Righteous Brothers sing that time goes by slowly. The line captures the song’s central feeling of longing, as the narrator waits desperately for a loved one to return.
“Unchained Melody” was written in 1955 by composer Alex North and lyricist Hy Zaret for the prison film Unchained. The original recording was performed by Todd Duncan, but the song later became internationally famous through The Righteous Brothers’ 1965 version.
The Righteous Brothers’ recording was led vocally by Bobby Hatfield, with Bill Medley forming the other half of the duo. Although their version is often treated as a quintessential 1960s love song, its roots are in a film about prisoners separated from their families and romantic partners.
The recording gained another major wave of popularity after appearing in the 1990 film Ghost, where it accompanies the famous pottery scene. Listeners sometimes remember the lyric as saying that the “days” or “night” go slowly, but the wording in the song is specifically about time.