You would expect a song from the '60s called "A Sign Of The Times" to have a heavy political or social context, kind like the Prince song with a similar title. There is no weighty meaning in this one, however, as Petula sings about a guy who has finally stopped neglecting her, and she couldn't be happier. Like most of Petula's hits, it was written by the British songwriter Tony Hatch.
In our 2013 interview with Petula Clark, we asked her what she thought of this song when she heard it. "I loved it," she replied. "It had a slightly different feel. 'A Sign of the Times,' I suppose you might expect some big political statement or something, but it was just a straight ahead love song. I think Tony [Hatch] rather liked finding titles that made you think, like 'Don't Sleep In The Subway.' People would think, is it about drugs? Is it about this? And these were just straightforward songs."
In 1999, this song was used in a commercial for the department store of Target, emphasizing how the store has changed with the times.
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Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 17th 1966, Petula Clark performed "Sign of the Times" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'... See the next post below; for seven weeks earlier on February 27th, 1966 she appeared on the 'Sullivan' show and also performed "Sign of the Times" at the time.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 27th 1966, Petula Clark performed "A Sign of the Times" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'... Less than one month later on March 20th it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #70; and on April 17th it peaked at #11 (for 1 week) and spent 8 weeks on the Top 100... It reached #2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart... Was track one on side two from her album, 'My Love'., the album peaked at #68 and spent 12 weeks on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart... One other track from the album also made the Top 100 chart, "My Love" (#1 for 2 weeks)... Ms. Clark celebrated her 81st birthday three months ago on November 15th (2013).
Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaNot one of my favorites of Pet's and Tony Hatch...
Daevid from Glendale, CaProbably my favorite "Pet" Clark song ever. Great beat, great lyrics, great arrangement.
Richard from Rocketville, MdPetula Clark recorded a version of the song specifically for BF Goodrich Tires in the sixties titled: It's a Radial Age.
It had all new lyrics used to promote their then new "radial" tires - the Radial 990.
