Four Hours in Washington
M. Ward Lyrics


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Well, it's one in the morning and I can't sleep at night-
I hear wolves around the doorstep -
They're circling outside.
I count ‘em jumping over fences, and landing on the sheet
Now, it's two in the morning and I can't fall asleep.

It's two in the morning and I can't fall asleep-
There's a wind in the willows
And it's a howling down the street
I hear it picking up the garbage, gon' fly it to the moon
Now it's three in the morning better get some sleeping soon.

It's three in the morning better get some sleeping soon-
I'm gonna count the numbers in the counselor's room
And if I miss a beat, well, then it's off with my head
Now it's four in the morning and I'm twisting in my bed.

It's four in the morning and I'm turning in my bed-
I wish I had a dream or a nightmare in my head,




So I drop my imagination and get some sleeping done
Now it's five in the morning and I'm wishing it was one.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of M. Ward's "Four Hours in Washington" depict a sleepless night during which the singer finds himself unable to fall asleep. The song is structured around a series of verses that describe the singer's attempts to lull himself to sleep as the night progresses. Beginning at one in the morning, the song's lyrics paint a picture of a dark, eerie night, with wolves heard circling outside the singer's house. As the night wears on, the singer tries various methods to fall asleep, from counting wolves to counting numbers in a counselor's room, yet the night remains restless. The final verse brings the song full circle, with the singer lamenting his inability to dream and waiting for the morning to come.


The song's lyrics are simple and straightforward, yet they convey a sense of restlessness and unease. The repetition of the phrase "it's [number] in the morning and I can't fall asleep" creates a sense of growing frustration and desperation, as the singer's attempts to sleep become more and more futile. The use of nocturnal imagery, such as wolves and howling winds, reinforces the sense of unease that runs throughout the song. Ultimately, the song's lyrics suggest that sleep is a fickle and arbitrary thing, and that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we simply cannot make ourselves fall asleep.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, it's one in the morning and I can't sleep at night-
It's late at night and I'm struggling to fall asleep.


I hear wolves around the doorstep -
I can hear wild animals near the house.


They're circling outside.
The animals are moving around the perimeter of the house.


I count ‘em jumping over fences, and landing on the sheet
I imagine the animals leaping over obstacles and onto the bed.


Now, it's two in the morning and I can't fall asleep.
Another hour has passed but I'm still unable to sleep.


There's a wind in the willows
The trees outside are rustling in the wind.


And it's a howling down the street
The wind is making loud noises through the streets.


I hear it picking up the garbage, gon' fly it to the moon
The wind is strong enough to pick up objects and blow them away.


Now it's three in the morning better get some sleeping soon.
Another hour has gone by and it's getting later, I need to sleep.


I'm gonna count the numbers in the counselor's room
I'm going to distract myself by counting the items in the nearby room.


And if I miss a beat, well, then it's off with my head
If I lose focus while counting, I'll become angry with myself.


Now it's four in the morning and I'm twisting in my bed.
Another hour has passed and I'm restless in bed.


I wish I had a dream or a nightmare in my head,
I'd rather have any dream than no dream at all.


So I drop my imagination and get some sleeping done
I stop trying to think and finally fall asleep.


Now it's five in the morning and I'm wishing it was one.
As the sun rises and a new day approaches, I wish it was still the start of the night.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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