Sleeping on the Blacktop
Colter Wall Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Sunshine beating on the good times
Moonlight raising from the grave
String band playing worn out honky-tonks
Pretty young thing going dancing in the rain

High heel lady spitting at the nickajack
Business man with a needle and a spoon
Coyote chewing on a cigarette

Pack o' young boys going howlin' at the moon

Hey darlin'!
Sleeping on the blacktop
Hey darlin'!
Running through the trees honey
Hey darlin'!
Leaving for the next town
Less'n my sense catches up with me

Three dead in a crash on the number four
Two witnesses below and up high
Not sure whose will be done
You can call me a sinner for wondering why

Hey darlin'!
Sleeping on the blacktop
Hey darlin'!
Running through the trees honey
Hey darlin'!
Leaving for the next town
Less'n my sense catches up with me

Corn liquor tastes sweeter in this town
Could it be it's the same as the last?
I swear I've seen ya face elsewhere before
Just as familiar as a bottle and a glass

Hey darlin'!
Sleeping on the blacktop
Hey darlin'!
Running through the trees honey
Hey darlin'!

Leaving for the next town
Less'n my sense catches up with me

Overall Meaning

Colter Wall's song Sleeping on the Blacktop depicts life in a small, rural town where the only entertainment is found in cheap bars and dancing in the rain. The song starts off with a cheerful tone, describing the sunshine and moonlight in the area, as well as a string band playing honky-tonks. However, the lyrics soon take a darker turn, detailing the struggles of those living in the town. A high heeled lady spits at the "nickajack", which is a term used to describe a kind of fish that is commonly found in the region. This could symbolize the frustration of someone who is fed up with her life in the town and takes it out on harmless things.

The next set of lyrics depict a businessman with a needle and spoon, which implies drug use and addiction in the town. The coyote chewing on a cigarette could represent the people in the town who have given up on their dreams and are now living on the fringes of society. The pack of young boys howling at the moon could represent the rebellious nature of the youth in the town who feel suffocated by the constraints of their lives.

Throughout the song, the repeated phrase "Hey darlin'!" is a call to someone who may be able to change things, but it is unclear who this person is or if they exist at all. The final verse mentions a fatal car crash and the uncertainty of people's fates, asking profound questions about the morality of life.

Line by Line Meaning

Sunshine beating on the good times
Clear weather making good times even better

Moonlight raising from the grave
New beginnings arising from tough times

String band playing worn out honky-tonks
Old music being played in dive bars

Pretty young thing going dancing in the rain
Youthful joy in letting loose and dancing in the rain

High heel lady spitting at the nickajack
A refined woman acting tough and rebellious

Business man with a needle and a spoon
A professional succumbing to addiction

Coyote chewing on a cigarette
A wild animal exhibiting human-like behavior

Pack o' young boys going howlin' at the moon
Group of young men letting loose and being wild

Hey darlin'!
Addressing a loved one

Sleeping on the blacktop
Homeless and sleeping rough

Running through the trees honey
Moving on to a new place quickly

Leaving for the next town
Nomadic lifestyle, always on the move

Less'n my sense catches up with me
Acting on impulse without thinking things through

Three dead in a crash on the number four
Fatal car accident on a specific highway

Two witnesses below and up high
People witnessing the tragedy from different angles

Not sure whose will be done
Uncertainty about fate and destiny

You can call me a sinner for wondering why
Questioning the meaning behind life's tragedies

Corn liquor tastes sweeter in this town
Alcohol tastes better in certain places

Could it be it's the same as the last?
Wondering if this place is the same as previous ones

I swear I've seen ya face elsewhere before
Feeling like you've seen someone before

Just as familiar as a bottle and a glass
Feeling comfortable and familiar with a place or person

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Colter Wall

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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