Well its 3 a.m again, like it always seems to be
Drivin' northbound, drivin' homeward, drivin' wind is drivin' me
And it just seems so funny that I always end up here
Walkin' outside in the storm while looking way up past the tree-line
It's been some time

Give me darkness when i'm dreaming
Give me moonlight when i'm leaving
Give me shoes that weren't made for standing
Give me tree-line, give me big sky
Get me snow-bound, give me rain clouds give me a bed time just sometimes

Now you're talkin' in my room, but there ain't nobody here
Cuz i've been driving like a trucker, I been burnin' through the gears
I've been training like a soldier, i've been burnin' through this sorrow
And the only talkin lately is that background radio

You were my friend, and I was the same
Riding that hope was like catching some train
Well now I just walk, well I don't mind the rain
But i've been singing so much softer than I did back then

The night, I think, is darker than we can really say
And god's been living in that ocean, sending us all the big waves
And I wish I was a sailor so I could know just how to trust
Maybe I could bring some grace back home to the dryland for all of us

Say what you say, you say it so well
Just say you will wait, like snow on the rail
I been combing that train yard for some kind of sign
Even my own self, it just don't seem mine

Give me darkness when i'm dreaming, give me moonlight when i'm leaving
Give me mustang horse and muscle, cuz I won't be goin' gentle
Give me slant-eye looks when i'm lying, give me fingers when i'm crying
And I ain't out there to cheat you, see I killed that damn coyote in me

Overall Meaning

The song “3 a.m.” by Gregory Alan Isakov is a beautifully written and contemplative piece about life's long and winding road. The song is a reflection on the journey of the artist as he navigates through life and the different experiences that come his way. The opening line of the song “Well it's 3 a.m again, like it always seems to be” sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is driving northbound, homeward bound, but the wind is driving him. This line suggests that even though the singer is physically moving towards home, he is also dealing with some emotional struggles, and these struggles are pushing him northward.

The chorus of the song “Give me darkness when I'm dreaming, Give me moonlight when I'm leaving” suggests that the singer is looking for balance in his life. He wants the darkness to dream in and the moonlight to guide him when he is leaving. He wants to be given shoes that weren't made for standing, so he can keep moving forward. The bedtimes are just sometimes because the singer doesn't want to be stuck in one place.

In the second verse, the singer talks about being alone and driving like a trucker. He has been burning through the gears and training like a soldier. The background radio is the only talking lately. This line suggests that the singer is not interested in small talk or shallow relationships, and he's looking for something deeper. Even though the singer misses his friend and the hope they shared, he's not the same person he once was. He walks now, and it doesn't matter if it's raining, and he sings softly.

Overall, the song "3 a.m." is a poignant reflection on the journey of life. The singer is searching for balance, meaning, and purpose. He's looking for something deeper and more significant than just work and routine. He wants to feel alive and free, and he's not afraid to confront the difficult aspects of life.

Line by Line Meaning

Well its 3 a.m again, like it always seems to be
It's the same time every night, driving northbound, homeward, with the wind guiding me.

Drivin' northbound, drivin' homeward, drivin' wind is drivin' me
Heading home in the same direction, with the wind pushing me towards my destination.

And it just seems so funny that I always end up here
It's strange how I always end up in this exact location and situation.

Walkin' outside in the storm while looking way up past the tree-line
Walking around outside during a storm and looking up at the sky above the tree-line.

It's been some time
It's been a while since I've been in this situation.

Give me darkness when i'm dreaming
I want to dream in darkness and not have any distractions.

Give me moonlight when i'm leaving
I want to leave in the moonlight and have a clear view of my surroundings.

Give me shoes that weren't made for standing
I want to keep moving forward and not stay in one place for too long.

Give me tree-line, give me big sky
I want to see the world and be surrounded by nature.

Get me snow-bound, give me rain clouds give me a bed time just sometimes
I want to experience being snow-bound and see the world in different weather conditions. And, sometimes, I just want to rest.

Now you're talkin' in my room, but there ain't nobody here
There's no one else in my room, but I feel like there is due to my exhaustion and journey.

Cuz i've been driving like a trucker, I been burnin' through the gears
I've been driving hard and fast like a trucker, pushing through the gears to keep going.

I've been training like a soldier, i've been burnin' through this sorrow
I've been mentally preparing myself and pushing through my sadness like a soldier.

And the only talkin lately is that background radio
The only noise and conversation recently has been from the background radio in the car.

You were my friend, and I was the same
We were close friends and of the same nature or character.

Riding that hope was like catching some train
Having hope was like catching a train and moving towards something good.

Well now I just walk, well I don't mind the rain
Now, I just walk and it doesn't bother me if it starts to rain.

But i've been singing so much softer than I did back then
I've been singing more softly than I used to in the past, suggesting a change in my mood or personality.

The night, I think, is darker than we can really say
The darkness of the night is deeper than we can describe or comprehend.

And god's been living in that ocean, sending us all the big waves
There is an uncontrollable force, like God, living in the ocean and sending us big waves, which could be seen as the obstacles we face in life.

And I wish I was a sailor so I could know just how to trust
If I were a sailor, I would have learned to trust the waves and the forces of nature.

Maybe I could bring some grace back home to the dryland for all of us
If I did learn to trust this force, maybe I could bring some of that wisdom back home and help others.

Say what you say, you say it so well
You have an impressive way with words.

Just say you will wait, like snow on the rail
Promise me that you'll wait for me, like snow stays put on the rail.

I been combing that train yard for some kind of sign
I've been searching the train yard for some sort of guidance or direction.

Even my own self, it just don't seem mine
Even my own personality and life don't seem like they belong to me, suggesting a loss of identity.

Give me darkness when i'm dreaming, give me moonlight when i'm leaving
I want to experience darkness in my dreams and moonlight when I'm leaving or transitioning in life.

Give me mustang horse and muscle, cuz I won't be goin' gentle
I want a powerful and strong car because I won't be going slow or easy on this journey.

Give me slant-eye looks when i'm lying, give me fingers when i'm crying
I want people to treat me honestly when I'm lying, and to comfort me when I'm crying.

And I ain't out there to cheat you, see I killed that damn coyote in me
I'm not trying to deceive or cheat anyone, instead, I've overcome my own internal struggles, like the coyote in Native American mythology.

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