Meaning of "Time Flies" by Lykke Li

The lyrics of "Time Flies" seem to capture the conflicting emotions of wanting to be present and enjoy the moment with a loved one, while also feeling the pressure of time slipping away. The repetition of "time will fly, upon my baby's back" and "tide will dry, upon my baby's back" suggests that time and moments are constantly moving forward, much like the tide, and that despite the desire to stay, time waits for no one. The narrator's feelings of weakness, weariness, sleep deprivation, and moodiness indicate the toll that the passage of time and the pressures of life can take. The internal struggle depicted in the lyrics reflects the universal struggle of balancing the desire to hold onto moments and relationships with the inevitability of time moving forward.