, ▁its ▁lyr ics , ▁dealing ▁with ▁mort ality ▁and ▁the ▁wish ▁to ▁have ▁more ▁time , ▁had ▁additional ▁reson ance . ▁The ▁song ▁subsequently ▁received ▁a ▁large ▁amount ▁of ▁air play ▁as ▁an ▁album ▁track ▁and ▁demand ▁for ▁a ▁single ▁release ▁built . ▁When ▁it ▁was ▁eventually ▁issued ▁as ▁a ▁ 7 ", ▁it ▁became ▁his ▁second ▁and ▁final ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁hit . ▁After ▁the ▁single ▁had ▁finished ▁its ▁two - week ▁run ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁in ▁early ▁January ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁the ▁album ▁You ▁Don ' t ▁Mess ▁Ar ound ▁with ▁Jim ▁became ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁for ▁five ▁weeks . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁" Time ▁in ▁a ▁B ott le " ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁title ▁for ▁a ▁compilation ▁album ▁of ▁Cro ce ' s ▁love ▁songs . ▁ ▁Production ▁and ▁arrangement ▁The ▁arrangement ▁features ▁a ▁har ps ich ord ▁that ▁producer ▁Tommy ▁West ▁discovered ▁had ▁been ▁left ▁in ▁the ▁mixing ▁studio : ▁" The ▁night ▁before ▁we ▁were ▁going ▁to ▁mix , ▁I ▁was ▁watching ▁a ▁horror ▁movie ▁on ▁TV , ▁and ▁something ▁must ▁have ▁lod ged ▁in ▁my ▁brain ▁because ▁when ▁I ▁walked ▁into ▁the ▁studio ▁the ▁next ▁day , ▁I ▁saw ▁this ▁har ps ich ord ▁sitting ▁in ▁a ▁corner ▁and ▁got ▁an ▁idea . ▁A ▁j ing le ▁company ▁had ▁used ▁it ▁on ▁a ▁session ▁and ▁in ▁walked ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁guys ▁from ▁S IR ▁[ Studio ▁Inst ru ments ▁R ental ] ▁to ▁ha ul ▁it