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I'm writing you to
Catch you up on places I've been
You held this letter
Probably got excited, but there's nothing else inside it
Didn't have a camera by my side this time
Hoping I would see the world with both my eyes
Maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm
In the mood to lose my way with words
Today skies are painted colors of a cowboy's cliche'
And strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky
Are next to mountains anyway
Didn't have a camera by my side this time
Hoping I would see the world with both my eyes
Maybe I will tell you all about it when
I'm in the mood to lose my way
But let me say
You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes
It brought me back to life
You'll be with me next time I go outside
Just no more 3x5's
Guess you had to be there
Guess you had to be with me
Today I finally overcame
Trying to fit the world inside a picture frame
Maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm in the mood to
Lose my way but let me say
You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes
It brought me back to life
You'll be with me next time I go outside
No more 3x5's
Just no more 3x5's
Catch you up on places I've been
You held this letter
Probably got excited, but there's nothing else inside it
Didn't have a camera by my side this time
Hoping I would see the world with both my eyes
Maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm
In the mood to lose my way with words
Today skies are painted colors of a cowboy's cliche'
And strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky
Are next to mountains anyway
Didn't have a camera by my side this time
Hoping I would see the world with both my eyes
Maybe I will tell you all about it when
I'm in the mood to lose my way
But let me say
You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes
It brought me back to life
You'll be with me next time I go outside
Just no more 3x5's
Guess you had to be there
Guess you had to be with me
Today I finally overcame
Trying to fit the world inside a picture frame
Maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm in the mood to
Lose my way but let me say
You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes
It brought me back to life
You'll be with me next time I go outside
No more 3x5's
Just no more 3x5's
Lyrics submitted by boilingptlver311
Track duration: 04:49
"3x5" as written by John Mayer
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think the line "No more 3x5's" is referring to the dimensions of a camera. As in, one day he won't have to send pictures to her, and they can both see the same things together.
"Today skies are painted colors of a cowboy's cliche'
And strange how clouds that look like mountains
In the sky are next to mountains anyway"
... instead he describes it. this part reminds me of a georgeous sunset, warm weather, drink in your hand, soaking up every second of it and how amazing it looks and you dont want to take your eyes off of it ever. it almost makes you feel lucky to be alive and experiencing the moment. "so youll be with me next time, i go outside, just no more 3x5's."
I love this song so much that my sister and i got a tattoo of 3x5 and people always ask us... WHATS 3 times 5 for?
simply beautiful
Wow
I've always got my camera by my side, trying to capture every moment and not miss a single thing..and sometimes it pisses me off that I can't just be in the moment and experience it rather than trying to preserve it in a piture.
i could elaborate but i don't think i will haha
he's amazing.
this song he's basicly saying you can't capture the whole world in one picture, which is easy to learn if you've ever been in the middle of a beautiful place,seen the sunset with "skies are painted colors of a cowboy's cliche'" and you just can't get that on camera.so i think he just wants to be able to share that scene or moment with a loved one but can't..he's trying to tell them that you just have to see it.
The way I see it, the sunrise is an epiphany - a moment that where his life changed because something "dawned" on him. I think he's telling the person about it (and not necessarily in a romantic way) because he didn't know the person at the time. But he wishes he's known the person when this big event happened in his life because it made him who he is now and he truly believe he’s better for it.
I think in this case, a 3x5 would be his attempt to describe how he felt at the time of the "whatever" - he's saying it was so big and wonderful that he can't even begin to try to put it into words. So "you'll be with me next time I go outside" is his commitment to keeping this friendship/relationship strong, if only so the other person can eventually appreciate another epiphany, and this time they would experience it together.
I came up with this when I suddenly became obsessed with the song (and of course, the music is huge and epic and perfect too) after I happened to have my own epiphany. But mine did involve a few sunrises, so I guess you could say I started with the literal interpretation on my way to my metaphorical conclusion. I have yet to find the person who should've been there.