Uploaded May 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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Nolan Randall playing the guitar riff and solo of “Back In Time” by Huey Lewis And The News from 1985’s Back To The Future: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack for MCA Records.
Words and music by Huey Lewis, Chris Hayes, Johnny Colla, & Sean Hopper
Tell me doctor, where are we going this time?
Is this the '50s or 1999?
All I wanted to do was play my guitar and sing
So take me away, I don't mind
But you better promise me I'll be back in time
Gotta get back in time
Don't bet your future on one roll of the dice
Better remember lightning never strikes twice
Please don't drive at eighty eight, don't want to be late again
So take me away, I don't mind
But you better promise me I'll be back in time
Gotta get back in time
Gotta get back in time
Get me back in time
Gotta get back in time
Gotta get back in time
Get back, get back
Get back Marty
Gotta get back in time
Gotta get back in time
Get back, get back
*Song Facts*
"Back In Time" plays over the end credits of Back to the Future, the top-grossing film of 1985. Lewis wrote the song with his bandmates Johnny Colla, Chris Hayes and Sean Hopper specifically for the film, incorporating plot elements in the lyrics.
The lyrics are essentially a summary of the movie, with a fairly obvious title that scans better than "Back To The Future." The band also wrote and recorded "The Power of Love" for the film, but that one has nothing to do with the movie itself. Lewis found it much easier writing "Back In Time." "You don't have to invest yourself in it," Lewis told People about writing to the plot. "So that was a lot of fun, actually."
"The Power of Love", which stands on its own, was released ahead of the film and went to #1. "Back In Time" was issued as a single after the movie came out, but failed to chart on the Hot 100.
When director Robert Zemeckis asked Huey Lewis for a song that describes the film, Lewis suggested a tune he was working on with Ry Cooder called "In The Nick Of Time". That song ended up in the movie Brewster's Millions and sung by Patti LaBelle. Lewis came up with "Back In Time" as a replacement.
The title has a dual meaning: Marty McFly goes back in time when he visits the '50s, but he also wants to get back in time for things to return to normal. So he can reunite with his family and his hot girlfriend Jennifer.
"Back In Time" was also used in a second place in the movie - it is heard as Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) wakes up to it on his alarm clock after returning from the past. He wakes up initially believing that it was all a dream.
In the movie, Marty McFly has to drive his time-travelling DeLorean at exactly 88 miles per hour when it is energized by a lightning strike. He only has one chance, because lighting doesn't strike twice. This is reflected in the 2nd verse of "Back In Time".
*Noles Thoughts*
There are few trilogies that stand the test of "time" in movies. But Back To The Future is in a class of it's own. I've been a big fan of the franchise since I was a kid. And I've also been a fan of Huey Lewis & The News for a long time. My mom had the album Sports on CD, and I listened to it a lot back in the day.
This music was made before I was born, but I have a soft spot for 1980s pop rock. Because of the superb songwriting and musicianship. And the mixing of engineer Bob Clearmountain. He mixed "Back In Time" as well as David Bowie's "Let's Dance". And countless others from that period. His mixing really shaped the pop sound at the time. And he innovated mixes in ways that had never been done before.
A fun fact about Back To The Future is that Huey Lewis made a cameo appearance in the movie. Playing one of the judges for the battle of the bands contest at Marty McFly's high school. A square guy with glasses who seems up tight. He rejects Marty's band for being too loud during their audition. The thing about the whole scenario is that Marty's band The Pinheads are playing an instrumental of "The Power Of Love" by Huey Lewis & The News. Which is the theme song of the movie. And Huey decides to reject his own tune while playing the un-hip judge at the high school.
Chris Hayes' guitar solo for "Back In Time" is very melodic. Much like a lot of his other solos with The News. He has the ability to create memorable hooks that follow melody lines. A great example of this is the lead guitar in The News' "Heart & Soul". Which is my favourite Huey Lewis song. Hayes left The News in 2001, but he was a crucial member of the band during their glory years. A very underrated guitar player.
Another great aspect to The News' sound is the use of saxophone from Johnny Colla. For "Back In Time", the saxophone hits the odd-time notes on the choruses. It really works together with the guitar riff as a motif for the song. This was part of The News' influence of 1960s soul music. Where the saxophone worked as a lead instrument.
#HueyLewisAndTheNews #BackInTime #PopRock
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Nolan Randall playing the guitar riff and solo of “Back In Time” by Huey Lewis And The News from 1985’s Back To The Future: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack for MCA Records.
Words and music by Huey Lewis, Chris Hayes, Johnny Colla, & Sean Hopper
Tell me doctor, where are we going this time?
Is this the '50s or 1999?
All I wanted to do was play my guitar and sing
So take me away, I don't mind
But you better promise me I'll be back in time
Gotta get back in time
Don't bet your future on one roll of the dice
Better remember lightning never strikes twice
Please don't drive at eighty eight, don't want to be late again
So take me away, I don't mind
But you better promise me I'll be back in time
Gotta get back in time
Gotta get back in time
Get me back in time
Gotta get back in time
Gotta get back in time
Get back, get back
Get back Marty
Gotta get back in time
Gotta get back in time
Get back, get back
*Song Facts*
"Back In Time" plays over the end credits of Back to the Future, the top-grossing film of 1985. Lewis wrote the song with his bandmates Johnny Colla, Chris Hayes and Sean Hopper specifically for the film, incorporating plot elements in the lyrics.
The lyrics are essentially a summary of the movie, with a fairly obvious title that scans better than "Back To The Future." The band also wrote and recorded "The Power of Love" for the film, but that one has nothing to do with the movie itself. Lewis found it much easier writing "Back In Time." "You don't have to invest yourself in it," Lewis told People about writing to the plot. "So that was a lot of fun, actually."
"The Power of Love", which stands on its own, was released ahead of the film and went to #1. "Back In Time" was issued as a single after the movie came out, but failed to chart on the Hot 100.
When director Robert Zemeckis asked Huey Lewis for a song that describes the film, Lewis suggested a tune he was working on with Ry Cooder called "In The Nick Of Time". That song ended up in the movie Brewster's Millions and sung by Patti LaBelle. Lewis came up with "Back In Time" as a replacement.
The title has a dual meaning: Marty McFly goes back in time when he visits the '50s, but he also wants to get back in time for things to return to normal. So he can reunite with his family and his hot girlfriend Jennifer.
"Back In Time" was also used in a second place in the movie - it is heard as Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) wakes up to it on his alarm clock after returning from the past. He wakes up initially believing that it was all a dream.
In the movie, Marty McFly has to drive his time-travelling DeLorean at exactly 88 miles per hour when it is energized by a lightning strike. He only has one chance, because lighting doesn't strike twice. This is reflected in the 2nd verse of "Back In Time".
*Noles Thoughts*
There are few trilogies that stand the test of "time" in movies. But Back To The Future is in a class of it's own. I've been a big fan of the franchise since I was a kid. And I've also been a fan of Huey Lewis & The News for a long time. My mom had the album Sports on CD, and I listened to it a lot back in the day.
This music was made before I was born, but I have a soft spot for 1980s pop rock. Because of the superb songwriting and musicianship. And the mixing of engineer Bob Clearmountain. He mixed "Back In Time" as well as David Bowie's "Let's Dance". And countless others from that period. His mixing really shaped the pop sound at the time. And he innovated mixes in ways that had never been done before.
A fun fact about Back To The Future is that Huey Lewis made a cameo appearance in the movie. Playing one of the judges for the battle of the bands contest at Marty McFly's high school. A square guy with glasses who seems up tight. He rejects Marty's band for being too loud during their audition. The thing about the whole scenario is that Marty's band The Pinheads are playing an instrumental of "The Power Of Love" by Huey Lewis & The News. Which is the theme song of the movie. And Huey decides to reject his own tune while playing the un-hip judge at the high school.
Chris Hayes' guitar solo for "Back In Time" is very melodic. Much like a lot of his other solos with The News. He has the ability to create memorable hooks that follow melody lines. A great example of this is the lead guitar in The News' "Heart & Soul". Which is my favourite Huey Lewis song. Hayes left The News in 2001, but he was a crucial member of the band during their glory years. A very underrated guitar player.
Another great aspect to The News' sound is the use of saxophone from Johnny Colla. For "Back In Time", the saxophone hits the odd-time notes on the choruses. It really works together with the guitar riff as a motif for the song. This was part of The News' influence of 1960s soul music. Where the saxophone worked as a lead instrument.
#HueyLewisAndTheNews #BackInTime #PopRock
