'Time Goes On' by Koe Wetzel – Lyrics & Meaning

Before he can look ahead in 2026, it seems Koe Wetzel must first look back.

The 'Last Outlaw Alive' hitmaker welcomed the New Year by teasing a fresh single, a deeply reflective one at that. Throughout January, he shared snippets of a wistful tune, dubbed 'Time Goes On', across social media, giving fans brief insight into his current contemplative state. Now that the song is officially out, it stands as an earnest reminder of just how fast our lives unfold.

“We wrote this as an acknowledgment of how quickly life moves, whether you embrace the changes that come with it or not,” the artist has shared of the track.

The ruminative nature of 'Time Goes On' feels especially poignant as Wetzel marks the 10 year anniversary of his breakout album, Noise Complaint, from 2016.

This new tune joins a recent slate of one-off singles, like 'Surrounded' and 'Werewolf', that arrived in late 2025. Could this signal a follow-up to his 2024 project, 9 Lives? As time goes on, perhaps an answer will be revealed.

'Time Goes On' features that scuzzy country-grunge, which has become a calling card of Koe's. Not far into the song, the electric guitar begins to bite and the drums pack a wallop, with the star's twangsty baritone a roundhouse kick to the feels. The sound is moody and anthemic – equal parts despondent and hopeful – a perfect marriage of the bandleader's emotionally weighty words and in-your-face arrangements.

"It feels like yesterday when I first got laid
And the Cowboys were superbowl bound
We could barely pay for the weed and drink
And we thought that we ran this town"

'Time Goes On' opens with our artist reflecting on what one might call "the good ole days." He's remembering a lot of firsts, a few personal highs – and also lows – and a time when he felt infinite.

But something strikes him mid-reflection. Those days are gone, seemingly, in the blink of an eye.

This isn't inherently a sad song, more of an observation. Koe isn't yearning for those moments again. He's instead using his memories as mile markers, points to look back on and thank for getting him to where he is today.

"I could of done a lot of things right
I could of done a lot of things wrong
Could be pouring concrete on a west Texas street
But I’m writing this song
Crazy how the years go fast
Crazy how the hours feel long
Even through the mistakes and the can’t get through this
Time goes on
The time goes on"

Sure, there were things along the way that he could have done differently, but it doesn't seem like he would alter his journey for anything. Throughout the track, he's open about the path he's wandered, remarking on how he could be working a blue collar job back home in Texas rather than crafting this song.

In looking back, he's also transparent about the life he's led and the rough-around-the-edges persona he's upheld, singing "If I made you cry / I couldn’t tell you why / Or what the hell that I was on." But as time goes on, he's changed, the hardships and loss he's faced only shaping him for the better.

It feels like yesterday when I first got laid
And the cowboys were superbowl bound
We could barely pay for the weed and drink
And we thought that we ran this town

Today I woke up
And those days are gone
Say you can’t go back
I tell you what

I could of done a lot of things right
I could of done a lot of things wrong
Could be pouring concrete on a west Texas street
But I’m writing this song
Crazy how the years go fast
Crazy how the hours feel long
Even through the mistakes and the can’t get through this
Time goes on
The time goes on

It feels like overnight
I closed my eyes
And half my friends are gone
And if I made you cry
I couldn’t tell you why
Or what the hell that I was on

Today I woke up
And those days are gone
Say you can’t go back
I tell you what

I could of done a lot of things right
I could of done a lot of things wrong
Could be pouring concrete on a west Texas street
But I’m writing this song
Crazy how the years go fast
Crazy how the hours feel long
Even through the mistakes and the can’t get through this
Time goes on
The time goes on

Time goes on
And I keep changing
Time goes on and on

I could of done a lot of things right
I could of done a lot of things wrong
Could be pouring concrete on a west Texas street
But I’m writing this song
Crazy how the years go fast
Crazy how the hours feel long
Even through the mistakes and the can’t get through this
Time goes on
The time goes on

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Koe Wetzel

Artist