Time is running out

"Time Is Running Out" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse, and is the third track on their third album, Absolution. It was released as the lead single from the album on September 8, 2003, in the United Kingdom and other countries. The single proved to be the band's breakthrough hit on alternative rock radio in the United States - hitting number nine on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was also the band's first Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number eight, besting the number eleven peak of "Plug In Baby".

Track listings

UK 7", UK / Japanese / French CD
"Time Is Running Out" - 3:56
"The Groove" - 2:38
"Stockholm Syndrome" (video) - 4:59 (CD versions only)
UK DVD
"Time Is Running Out" - 3:56
"Time Is Running Out" (video) - 3:58
"Time Is Running Out" (making of video) - 2:00

Release details

Country Date Label Format Catalog
United Kingdom 2003-09-08 East West Records 7" EW272 / 5050466854872
CD EW272CD / 5050466854926
DVD EW272DVD / 5050466855053
Australia Taste Media CD 5050466896926
France Taste Media, Naive CD NV50121 / 3298490501214
Japan Taste Media CD CTCM-65044 / 4945817650443

Music video

The video, directed by John Hillcoat, depicts a number of military officials seated at a round table performing actions simultaneously, moving to the beat of the song, as Muse play the song on the table, with the officials apparently oblivious to Muse's presence. Eventually, the officers begin to start dancing on the table, seeming to go insane. They eventually end up crawling. It is partially based on Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

In pop culture


This "In popular culture" section may contain minor or trivial references. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture rather than simply listing appearances, and remove trivial references. (February 2010)
Time is Running out Was Featured on the FLYING-DOG Soundtrack
The song has been featured in an episode of Entourage entitled "The Boys Are Back in Town" and in 2008, the song was featured on Torchwood Declassified, to represent the deaths of two main characters.
In 2006, the song was featured in the trailer for the film Running Scared and was also used in promotional spots of the Turner Classic Movies channel.
In 2005, The Feeling covered the song for Jo Whiley's Live Lounge on Radio One. They apparently did not know what the song was called or who it was by when they covered it.
The song has been featured in the book Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz.
This song was used during a montage of Usain Bolt's 2008 Olympic performance on NBC.
A string version by The Section Quartet[1] was played in an episode of Gossip Girl entitled "New Haven Can Wait" on October 14, 2008.
The song was played during the late night Hollyoaks special "Back From The Dead".
The song was used during an Australian Beach Cricket game on Channel 9 after returning from a commercial break.
The song is frequently used as background music in a weekly cooking show, "James Bullen's Cooking Adventures" on the Australian television network, Channel 31.