Graveyard Shift
Sam Robert's Band Lyrics
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No one ever told me it would be like this
Sundown til the morning rise
Starting my day with a moonlight kiss
And I was born on a precipice
Between salvation and the great abyss
I don't think I can go on like this
Putting in time on the graveyard shift
I go to work at sundown
Pick-axe digging into common ground
Night falls but it makes no sound
Duty's calling from the underground
Now here it comes it comes
The setting Sun
Time to dig down and see what side you're on
Until the dawn the dawn you're soldiering on
Every sundown you gotta be reborn
Come away, come away, come away
Come sit by me and see what I see
When I close my eyes at the edge of sleep
And we dream on the blade of a knife
Following the trail of the afterlife
Now here they come
The night commuters
The midnight hoard
The dawn refuters
They're all here to settle a score
With the phantom limbs and the ghosts of war
Here it come it comes
The setting sun
Time to dig down and see what side you're on
Until the dawn the dawn soldiering on
Every sundown you gotta be reborn
Come away, come away, come away
I've been working the graveyard shift
Traded night for day
Now it's all I can do to stay awake
Eyes heavy as the moonlight drifts
Time to dig, time to dig
And bury my mistakes
Bury my mistakes
I've been working the graveyard shift
No one ever told me it would be like this
Sundown til the morning rise
Starting my day with a moonlight kiss
And I was born on a precipice
Between salvation and the great abyss
I don't think I can go on like this
Putting in time on the graveyard shift
Now here it comes it comes
The setting Sun
Time to dig down and see what side you're on
Until the dawn the dawn you're soldiering on
Every sundown you gotta be reborn
Come away, come away, come away
The song "Graveyard Shift" by Sam Roberts is about the struggles of working the night shift and the toll it takes on the body and mind. The lyrics describe the feeling of being born on a precipice between life and death, salvation and the abyss, and the sense of soldiering on until the dawn. The song speaks to the idea of being reborn every sundown, the sense of renewal that comes with starting a new night of work.
The opening lines convey a sense of isolation and disillusionment, as the singer reflects on the difficulties of working the graveyard shift. He contrasts the beauty of a moonlight kiss with the harsh reality of a life spent toiling in the dark. The singer's dig at common ground is a metaphor for his work, the drudgery of the daily grind. The song's chorus invokes the image of the setting sun, a symbol of death and rebirth, and the need to keep soldiering on until the dawn.
The bridge features the night commuters, the midnight hoard, and the dawn refuters, personifications of the forces that haunt the darkness. The phantom limbs and ghosts of war are references to the traumas that still haunt the singer, and which emerge during the long hours of the night shift. The song ends with a sense of desperation, as the singer pleads for renewal and rebirth, knowing that every sundown brings the possibility of a new start.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been working the graveyard shift
I work at night, in a difficult position
No one ever told me it would be like this
I was not warned about the hardships of this job
Sundown til the morning rise
I work from sunset to sunrise
Starting my day with a moonlight kiss
My day begins at night, under the moon
And I was born on a precipice
I was born in a difficult situation
Between salvation and the great abyss
Between good and evil, with a thin line dividing me
I don't think I can go on like this
I am not sure I can continue working in this way
Putting in time on the graveyard shift
Spending time working during the night shift
Time to dig down and see what side you're on
It's time to confront the challenge and choose a side
Until the dawn the dawn soldiering on
Keep fighting until the morning comes
Every sundown you gotta be reborn
Approach each day with a new mindset and energy
Come away, come away, come away
Escape from the challenges and hardship
Come sit by me and see what I see
Join me and experience what I am experiencing
Following the trail of the afterlife
Looking for answers beyond the physical world
The phantom limbs and the ghosts of war
Haunted by memories and traumas of past experiences
Traded night for day
My sleeping and working schedule have been reversed
Eyes heavy as the moonlight drifts
Tired eyes under the glow of the moonlight
Time to dig, time to dig
It's time to work hard and put in effort
And bury my mistakes
Put my errors behind me and move forward
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SAM LEWIS ROBERTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lea Hinz
Favorite song from the album!
Kyle Spencer
Lea Hinz
you and me both brah
Aubrey Ingraham
This and American Draft dodger are my two favorite songs. Thank you!
Nick Anderson
Hello. 🙂 Please, let us pray together. Dear God who art in heaven hallow be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever in Jesus Christ's name we pray amen.