At The Chime Of A City Clock is Nick Drake’s third track on his second album Bryter Layter, released in 1970. The song blends English folk with a jazz-inflected, post-bossa nova rhythm, featuring lush string arrangements and a mood that is at once bright and melancholic. Lyrically it paints urban life in London, balancing wonder at city lights with a wary, inward focus as Drake wrestles with modern life. The Bryter Layter sessions featured Richard Thompson on electric guitar, Dave Mattacks on drums, Daniel Pegg on bass, with string arrangements by Robert Kirby, and included contributions from Beach Boys studio musicians and John Cale. The track is often seen as a standout in Drake’s discography for its sophisticated mood and storytelling, with some fans considering it the most fully realized song on the album, even as its meanings remain elusive. Some listeners speculate Hampstead Heath as a possible inspiration, reflecting Drake’s London surroundings.
