Hope Monroe - Between Clocks

The Liminal Space: Living Between the Hours

🎤 The Agony of the "Half-Life"

In "Somewhere Between the Hours and Me," Hope Monroe captures the specific, quiet torture of the double life. Unlike "Chasing Notes," which focused on the definitive exit, this track dwells in the liminal space—that agonizing gap between the person the world sees and the person who exists only in the margins of a notebook.

“Half here / Half chasing a dream / My coffee’s gone cold / But my eyes still gleam”

This isn't just boredom; it’s disassociation as a survival tactic. The "cold coffee" is a classic symbol of a life neglected in favor of an internal world that feels more real than the physical one. Monroe highlights the psychological exhaustion of "talking brave in the mirror" while remaining "too scared to leave."

---

▶️ Watch & Listen: The Sound of Liminality

Experience the official track for “Between Clocks” by Hope Monroe.

---

🧠 The Geography of the Interior

The song moves from physical confinement to mental expansion. Monroe uses the contrast between corporate mundanity and vast, natural imagery to show how cramped her spirit has become. These metaphors illustrate Creative Schizophrenia—the state of being physically present in a "safe" environment while your soul is miles away.

“Same four walls / But the sky’s in my chest”

This is a visceral description of expansion. The ambition is becoming too large for the container. When the "sky" is in your chest, the ceiling of a cubicle starts to feel like a coffin lid. The "circle in red" on her map represents a point of no return that she is constantly staring at but hasn't yet dared to touch.

---

🛡️ The Imposter in the Hallway

The bridge of the song pivots from longing to a much darker, more relatable fear: The terror of the goal.

“Maybe I’m scared / That the dream might fade / If I ever step into / The thing I made”

This is a profound psychological insight. Monroe admits that the "cage" provides a certain protection. As long as the dream is just a dream, it’s perfect. Once you "step into" it, it becomes real, messy, and liable to fail. She poses the ultimate question: Do we stay in the cage because we’re trapped, or because we’re afraid of what we’ll become without the bars to define us?

---

🗣️ The Weight of the Key

The final chorus shifts the imagery from the "sea" to a much more grounded, tense location: the hallway.

“I’m here in the hallway / Holding the key / Somewhere between the hours and me”

The song doesn't end with a celebratory exit; it ends with the burden of choice. The key is in her hand. The "hours" represent the structured, billable time of her old life, while "me" represents her true identity. She is suspended between them.

Monroe reminds us that the hardest part of the journey isn't the distance we travel—it's the moment we stand in the hallway, fully aware that we have the power to unlock the door, but haven't turned the wrist yet.

Are you living a "half-life" right now? Does your internal world feel more vibrant than your 9-to-5 reality? Join the conversation below!

✨ Final Challenge: Look at your "map in the notes." What is one small thing you can do today to move toward that "circle in red" instead of just staring at it from across the room? Tell us your move below! 👇

Song Lyrics: Hope Monroe- Between Hours

[Verse 1] Half here Half chasing a dream My coffee’s gone cold But my eyes still gleam There’s a version of me They’ll never believe Talking brave in the mirror Too scared to leave [Pre-Chorus] Clock hands drag But my mind runs ahead I’m stuck in my seat While I live in my head (oh) [Chorus] Somewhere between the hours and me There’s a life that I only half live Half see I’m nodding in meetings Out over the sea Somewhere between the hours and me [Verse 2] Inbox on fire Phone on my thigh I’m smiling on cue While I rewrite my life Got a map in my notes With a circle in red All the roads that I want Never leave my head [Pre-Chorus] Same four walls But the sky’s in my chest Every “maybe one day” Keeps drowning the rest [Chorus] Somewhere between the hours and me There’s a life that I only half live Half see I’m laughing at small talk Lost in a breeze Somewhere between the hours and me [Bridge] If I jumped this track Would the world fall through? Would I miss this cage If the bars were you? (yeah) Maybe I’m scared That the dream might fade If I ever step into The thing I made [Chorus] Somewhere between the hours and me There’s a hand that I almost reach Then leave I’m here in the hallway Holding the key Somewhere between the hours and me Somewhere between the hours and me

Lyrics provided by Hope Monroe.