After gaining a following as a popular live act on college campuses, the band has gained popular success since signing to Lava Records in 2005, with their singles "Love and Memories" and "Shattered (Turn the Car Around)" gaining mainstream radio airplay. Speaking with Songfacts in an interview, Roberge explained "Love and Memories" was inspired by the Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet movie, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The members of O.A.R. first came together in Rockville, Maryland in the basement of drummer Chris Culos' childhood home in 1996. As a young group of musicians, they were the prototype of the modern, self-starting band--taking charge of their fate by working the internet and building an identifiable sound. The bandâs music, a rock/reggae fusion, consisted of songs that were fully accessible, yet teasingly elusive. Attracting fans all across the country, the band members toured relentlessly, pushing their album sales through boundless dedication and word-of-mouth appeal, never waiting for the industry to catch up. O.A.R. owes much of their success to piracy and Napster, the mp3 sharing engine. Around 2000, O.A.R.'s popularity greatly increased among college students because their song "Crazy Game of Poker" was a huge hit on Napster.
By the time the band had reached their 10 year anniversary together, they had sold over 1.2 million albums and performed in front of over 1 million people. Their studio record, Stories of a Stranger, produced radio favorites âLove and Memoriesâ and âHeard the Worldâ as well as mtvUâs Most Downloaded Video of 2006, âLay Down.â The band followed up the successful release with a live double disc CD and DVD set, Live From Madison Square Garden, recorded during the bandâs second sold-out performance at the prestigious arena.
Early in 2008, the band members holed themselves up in a studio in Los Angeles to work on their next project, All Sides. The album was released on July 15th.
The Heaven Songfacts reports that the first single from O.A.R.'s seventh studio album, King was released on June 7, 2011 on Wind-Up Records.
. For more information about O.A.R., go to www.ofarevolution.com.
Old Man Time
O.A.R. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For so long.
I've been off that track.
There's a mystery in that and it's strong.
But once more I'm asking for your time.
A few between the two then I'm gone.
I don't think I'll be coming back.
I'm not coming back.
It seems to me, you & me,
Aren't where we're supposed to be.
We're lost somewhere on the seventh sea.
I found Time, at least I thought I did.
You slipped away, yeah you slipped my grip.
So this day that I stood my ground,
Wait for Old Man Time.
Once again a day's flown by.
On a journey roads get hot.
So hot, I'm walking around unclothed.
Heated to the bone I'm bare-boned.
Bare-boned I'm thrown, dethroned again.
I missed the man by a minute again.
But next time gonna have my shot.
Gonna see me with Time.
It seems to me, you & me,
Aren't where we're supposed to be.
We're lost somewher on an endless sea.
I found Time, at least I thought I did.
You slipped away, yeah you slipped my grip.
So this day that I stood my ground
You saw me lost but forget it I'm found.
Right here at the Black Rock
Lay your cards down, Mr. Old Man Time.
Oh, I tracked you down old man.
When I walk at night I see you
And I follow you old man.
But the Black Rock is never too far away.
I'm dying just to hear what you say.
So next time I'll be comin' round,
Gonna see me with Time.
It seems to me, you & me,
Aren't where we're supposed to be.
We're lost somewher on an endless sea.
I found Time, at least I thought I did.
You slipped away, yeah you slipped my grip.
So this day that I stood my ground
You think you lost me but forget it I'm found.
So right here at the Black Rock
Lay your cards down, Mr. Old Man Time.
You're not too far for me.
I've waited my life for jus a minute to see.
The song "Old Man Time" by O.A.R. talks about the struggles that the singer has been going through, probably falling into a problem or addiction and being away from the right track for a long time. The lyrics convey the singer's desperation to find time, a savior who will set him on the right path. The lyrics suggest that this is not the first time the singer has searched for Time, which he refers to as an old man. The song references the seventh sea where the singer believes he and Time are lost in, leaving him with a feeling of disorientation and uncertainty.
Despite the singer's repeated efforts to track Time down and being frustrated by missing him by minutes, he stands his ground, determined to wait for Time at the Black Rock. He becomes vulnerable in his desperation to hear what Time has to say after tracking him down at night. The singer suggests that the Black Rock is never too far away from Time, and that he will try to find him once again and perhaps finally have his shot at the right path.
In summary, "Old Man Time" tells a story about a person's struggles with addiction or other problems while trying to return to the right path. He is searching for Time, a character he sees as a savior who will guide him on the right track, but despite his repeated efforts, he keeps missing him. However, he stands his ground and is finally ready to hear what Old Man Time has to say.
Line by Line Meaning
I have been falling again for so long.
It's been a long time since I felt like I was on the right path.
For so long.
I've been off course for a significant period of time.
I've been off that track.
I haven't been following the path I know I should be on.
There's a mystery in that and it's strong.
I'm not sure why I keep going astray, but it's a powerful feeling.
But once more I'm asking for your time.
I need your help again to get back on track.
A few between the two then I'm gone.
I just need a little guidance before I can take the next steps on my own.
I don't think I'll be coming back.
I don't want to keep repeating past mistakes.
It seems to me, you & me,
I get the sense that we're both feeling uncertain.
Aren't where we're supposed to be.
We're not living up to our potential.
We're lost somewhere on the seventh sea.
We're aimlessly wandering through life.
I found Time, at least I thought I did.
I thought I had figured out how to live my life in a fulfilling way.
You slipped away, yeah you slipped my grip.
But something slipped away from me and I can't quite put my finger on it.
So this day that I stood my ground,
Despite feeling lost, I'm standing my ground and refusing to give up.
Wait for Old Man Time.
I'm waiting for the wisdom that comes with time to help me figure things out.
Once again a day's flown by.
Time is flying by and I'm not making the most of it.
On a journey roads get hot.
Journeys can be rough and tiring.
So hot, I'm walking around unclothed.
I feel exposed and vulnerable in my current situation.
Heated to the bone I'm bare-boned.
I'm stripped down to my core, with nothing to hide behind.
Bare-boned I'm thrown, dethroned again.
I feel like I've been knocked down again.
I missed the man by a minute again.
I keep missing out on opportunities by just a small margin.
But next time gonna have my shot.
I'm determined to take advantage of the next opportunity that arises.
Gonna see me with Time.
I'm going to use Time to help me succeed.
You saw me lost but forget it I'm found.
I might have seemed lost before, but I've found my way again.
Right here at the Black Rock
I'm currently in a place where major decisions will be made.
Lay your cards down, Mr. Old Man Time.
I'm ready to hear what Time has to teach me.
Oh, I tracked you down old man.
I've been actively seeking wisdom from Time.
When I walk at night I see you
I sometimes find clarity in the quiet and darkness of night.
And I follow you old man.
I'm willing to follow Time's lead to find the answers I need.
The Black Rock is never too far away.
The decisions I make will impact my future in significant ways.
I'm dying just to hear what you say.
I'm eager to learn from Time's wisdom.
So next time I'll be comin' round,
I'm committed to continuing on this journey of self-discovery.
You think you lost me but forget it I'm found.
I'm not going to let myself get lost again.
You're not too far for me.
I know that Time's wisdom is always within my reach.
I've waited my life for just a minute to see.
I've been waiting for an opportunity to learn from Time my whole life.
Lyrics Š REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: MARC ANDREW ROBERGE, RICHARD JOE ON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind