#ThrowbackThursday: “3 am” by Matchbox Twenty

by Sean Smith

Rob Thomas is set to release his third solo studio album tomorrow, August 21st. The album is titled The Great Unknown, and the project’s first single “Trust You” is a pop/rock anthem produced by Ryan Tedder.

Thomas, who had summer tour dates to promote the new album scheduled through August 13th, is currently on the road playing some stops on his summer tour that had to be postponed in July. Some of the shows were postponed because doctors found lesions on the brain of Thomas’ wife of 15 years Marisol. Thomas had the following to say when he was asked about his wife’s health in a recent interview with an australian news outlet.

“She’s getting there. Her surgery is lined up for September 11. The song The Great Unknown is actually about my amazement at how strong and how resilient she is — how she goes through all she’s going through, then if she has the grace of a good day she just picks it up and runs with it. After everything she’s been through all these years … I’d be in a corner somewhere, in the fetal position. But she’s kinda f*****’ amazing.”

This isn’t the first time Thomas has drawn inspiration for song by watching his wife face health related issues. He wrote his 2009 hit song “Her Diamonds”, from his second solo album Cradlesong, describing how he feels when he sees Marisol experience pain from her rare autoimmune disease.

While fans of Thomas await the chance to hear the new song he wrote about his wife’s strength and resiliency, we want to take a moment to remember another song he wrote that also had its roots in observing a family member fighting through medical problems.

Rob Thomas made his first big impact in music fronting the 90’s band Matchbox Twenty. The band released their debut album Yourself or Someone Like You in 1996, and achieved their first taste of mainstream success with their second single off of that album “Push”, which topped the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at number three on the Billboard Top 40 Mainstream chart.

Matchbox Twenty proved their staying power with the success of their third single from Yourself or Someone Like You “3 am”. The song performed extremely well on the charts for the group, reaching the number three spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart as well as the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, and peaked at the number two spot on the Top 40 mainstream chart. “3 am” was written in the early 90’s by Rob Thomas and three others who were in a band at the time called Tabitha’s Secret. The song was inspired by Thomas’ childhood. When he was 12 years old his mother was diagnosed with cancer and given only months to live. Thankfully, Thomas’ mother survived, and the emotions Thomas felt as a child survived as well becoming the impetus for “3 am”.

So with Rob Thomas releasing his new album The Great Unknown tomorrow, and the title track being written about his wife’s perseverance through her medical issues, today we remember “3 am” by his band Matchbox Twenty. A song that also found its origins in Thomas witnessing a loved one battle through illness. We wish Rob Thomas success with the new album, but most importantly we want to wish health and a speedy recovery to his wife Mari. Enjoy.

Matchbox Twenty

“3 AM”

From Yourself Or Someone Like You 

Atlantic Records

Related Media 

Rob Thomas

“Her Diamonds”

From Cradlesong

Emblem/Atlantic Records

Rob Thomas

“Trust You”

From The Great Unknown

Emblem/Atlantic Records