In 1234 Ivan describes his suffering as a result of his attachment to his past and an old relationship. He confronts how he has changed, the cause of a hole in his relationship, and how this affects him as an individual.
This song was one of the first singles to be released from his album Remains,...
[Verse 1]
New chapter of my life with the same old things
Act like I'm growing up, still the same old me
Feeling every sting, why can’t I let things be?
I always care for others, who's gon' care for me?
Tell me, is it me—do I care too much?
Do I look for love where it can’t be touched?
Is it all these bags from the past few times?
Do I carry all the baggage when some ain't mine?
Tired of overlooking things so you don't feel any hurt
This heart isn't a tool for you to make it all work
Used to wake up in the morning, sit in traffic for work
Funny how the place I hated was the place where I learned
Now I'm blessed to have music pay all the bills in our lives
Only leave the house to make some music at night
But now I sit behind this window with some tears in my eyes
Like, am I watching these cars or is life passing me by, like?
[Chorus]
1 a.m, I've been losing me
2 a.m, I've been thinking too much
3 a.m, tell me, is it all me?
4 a.m, am I changing that much?
1 a.m, I wonder, am I too late?
2 a.m, to fix things with you
3 a.m, to fix things with me
4 a.m, maybe I'm up too late
[Post-Chorus]
Staying up like
Staying up like
Staying up like
1, 2, 3, 4
Staying up like
Staying up like
Staying up like, yeah
1, 2 3, 4
[Verse 2]
The later it gets, the more I’m thinking of us
There’s no happiness in love when you can't see that it’s lust
I know I shoulda stood up, all I ever did was adjust, like
"Can this fill me up?" No, it was never enough
Now I'm left with the pieces of everything that remains
They say, "Ivan, let it go," man, that's the thing that I hate
Like, tell me one person you know that can let go of their pain
Like, this the story of your life—you can't throw out a page
Last night someone tried to give me advice
But if it doesn’t work, you're the one who pays for it
Guessin' that's why they call it ad-vice
Callin' 1-800-God, that's the product of my life
I've been feeling low, I've been looking up
Every other night, I feel like giving up
That's when I look into the mirror, yeah, you're gettin' up
You shouldn't fall apart just to fall in love, yeah
[Chorus]
1 a.m, I've been losing me
2 a.m, I've been thinking too much
3 a.m, tell me, is it all me?
4 a.m, am I changing that much?
1 a.m, I wonder, am I too late?
2 a.m, to fix things with you
3 a.m, to fix things with me
4 a.m, maybe I'm up too late
[Post-Chorus]
Staying up like (Maybe I'm up too late)
Staying up like (Maybe I'm up too late)
Staying up like
1, 2, 3, 4 (I wonder if it's too late)
Staying up like (To fix things with you)
Staying up like (To fix things with me)
Staying up like, yeah
1, 2 3, 4
1234 was written by Ivan B.
1234 was produced by Keith Fontano.