“3 O'Clock Things” is an open book for AJR’s “shower thoughts” that occur at 3 in the morning. The song is a rare delve into politics — the band has generally refrained from politics, but has hinted at it through some songs such as “Birthday Party.” Ryan Met discussed the intentions of the song in an interview with Alternative Press:

We wrote the most political song on the album, ‘3 O’Clock Things,’ about the predicament of, ‘Should I even write a political song? Should I even discuss politics with my friends? Is it worth it?’ Then we ended up talking about racism.

This isn’t their first song using “three” in the title — “Three Thirty” is a similar sounding song, with comparable lyrics. The band also references the song on their single “Way Less Sad”:

‘It’s half-past three and my brain’s on fire