'Third Time's the Charm' by Megan Moroney – Lyrics & Meaning

Sometimes, you have to kiss a few frogs before you plant one on the right amphibian. At the moment, few artists understand that old adage better than Megan Moroney, whose sophomore album, Am I Okay?, thoroughly explores the many trials and triumphs of young love.

Her solo-penned 'Third Time's the Charm' is the perfect example of such a tune. The soft and sincere ballad chronicles how sometimes first and second romances don't always take, but that's no reason to swear off love. Sometimes, it's the one that comes along after that's the charm.

Then again, sometimes it isn't...

Update: A little over a month after MeMo released the long-awaited Am I Okay? with its endearing 'Third Time's the Charm', the star shared a snippet of what appears to be a continuation of the tune.

In a post on social media, the artist offered fans a taste of an unreleased recording, containing the makings of new heartbreaker. Against its neon-tinted arrangement, the artist documents an unexpected breakup, singing, "You weren't supposed to be just like the rest / You swore up and down that you loved me to death / Now, we're in my driveway, and I'm now your ex / 'Cause I’m way too much and you need something less."

Few details accompanied the post save a caption, reading, "sooooo yeah the third time was in fact not the charm," likely a reference to the artist's Am I Okay? hit.

It is not yet known when this unnamed song will be released or whether or not it is a part of a forthcoming deluxe version of her sophomore album.

Coming alive with a blanketing of delicate strings and stalwart beats, 'Third Time's the Charm' is a delightful display of sturdy country. The steadily ambling offering, peppered with dazzling steel and carried on a faithful rhythm, provides a striking backdrop for such a bright, hopeful tune to unfold.

I fell in love at sweet sixteen
Ain’t ever felt a cut that deep
I blamed him and he blamed me
I cried so hard I couldn’t breathe

In 'Third Time's the Charm', we get a brief glimpse of Moroney's dating history, a chronology that started when she was young. Early on in the glimmering tune, she documents how a first love turned sour and put her off of romance for a while.

She sings, "I swore off love for quite some time," noting that it wasn't until some "bad boy" piqued her interest that she decided to give love another try. That is until...

That went how you’d think it’d go
And I said “I guess I’ll die alone”
I got good at sleeping by myself
I got good at not needing no one else

After opening herself to love and getting hurt over and over again, she began to put up a wall, willing to push potential lovers away if it meant protecting her heart.

For a while, she was content with just being by herself. Until, romance came along again and grabbed hold of her attention.

But now I think it’s happening again
You put a brand new kind of wind back in my sails
Took my heart off of the shelf
And you’re not nothing like I’ve known
I’m already scared to let you go
Tonight I’m laying in your arms
Praying that the third time’s the charm

In the song, she meets someone who sweeps her off her feet. This special person is "patient and you’re twice as kind", able to compliment her personality and counteract her "crazy."

She thinks she's met her match and she's keeping her fingers crossed that, this time, it will take. However, if it doesn't, she's been in this situation before and knows how to pick herself up again.

I could probably get back up
If this goes south and I lose your love
But I don’t wanna know a world
Where you’re not mine and I’m not your girl

But still, she's hopeful, excited even, singing, "Baby, I think it’s happening again..."

While Megan Moroney hasn't shared the exact details of a tune like 'Third Time's the Charm', she has briefly touched on the making of and inspiration behind her sophomore effort. Am I Okay? is a deeply personal collection of tracks, beautifully reflecting this moment in her life and career.

“After putting Lucky out and getting to a point where my fans and I know each other so much better, I felt like I could open up and discuss things I’ve never talked about in my music before,” she explained in a statement. “Sometimes it almost feels like oversharing, but I feel like I have a responsibility to all the people who send me DMs or talk to me at shows and tell me how my songs helped them through a breakup or a bad time in their lives. If I can write about my heartbreak and make someone else feel like there’s a way out, then of course I’m going to keep doing that."

She adds: “Going into making this record, I was getting a lot of outside opinions on what my second album should be. After a while I realized I just needed to stay true to how I started writing songs when I was 19, and then focus on making music that sonically supports the stories I’m telling. I did my best to block out all that outside noise, and just lead with honesty the whole way through."

In the end, she offers, “I wanted to capture what life feels like in your 20s, where one minute you’re sad about an ex and the next you’re just having fun with your friends and couldn’t care less. My emotions can be all over the place, and I want my songs to make people feel like they have permission to be messy too.”

I fell in love at sweet sixteen
Ain’t ever felt a cut that deep
I blamed him and he blamed me
I cried so hard I couldn’t breathe

So I swore off love for quite some time
’Til a bad boy took me for a ride
And that went how you’d think it’d go
And I said “I guess I’ll die alone”
I got good at sleeping by myself
I got good at not needing no one else

But now I think it’s happening again
You put a brand new kind of wind back in my sails
Took my heart off of the shelf
And you’re not nothing like I’ve known
I’m already scared to let you go
Tonight I’m laying in your arms
Praying that the third time’s the charm

You’re patient and you’re twice as kind
And there’s a book that says that’s some good sign
You calm my crazy every time
You think I’m kind of crazy but you don’t mind

Now I think it’s happening again
You put a brand new kind of wind back in my sails
Took my heart off of the shelf
And you’re not nothing like I’ve known
I’m already scared to let you go
Tonight I’m laying in your arms
Praying that the third time’s the charm

I could probably get back up
If this goes south and I lose your love
But I don’t wanna know a world
Where you’re not mine and I’m not your girl

Baby, I think it’s happening again
You put a brand new kind of wind back in my sails
Took my heart off of the shelf
And you’re not nothing like I’ve known
I’m already scared to let you go
Tonight I’m laying in your arms
Praying that the third time’s the charm

--

For more on Megan Moroney, see below: