The writing credit for this song on the Birth Of The Dead CD is for the Grateful Dead. In a 2011 interview with David Gans, David Nelson said that the lyrics were written by Dave Parker who had been in Mother McCrees Uptown Jug Champions and later became the Grateful Dead's financial manager.

On setlists and tapes this song was originally given the title Walking In The Sun. This title is used, for the want of more accurate information, on the Fire Dept cover of the song.

The Only Time Is Now was played by Phil Lesh & Friends in January 2015 during a show made up of songs from the early days of the Grateful Dead.