Three Hours is a short folk song by Nick Drake from his 1969 debut album Five Leaves Left. The track was produced by Joe Boyd and recorded at Sound Techniques Studio in London, with Drake on guitar and vocals, Danny Thompson on double bass, and Rocki Dzidzornu on congas. The lyrics present three vivid mini stories set around a three hour window: in the first verse, Jeremy flies three hours from sundown to the east of the city and down to a cave in search of a master or a slave; in the second verse, Giacomo is free three hours from London, taking his woes down to the sea in search of a lifetime and a story never known; in the third verse, three hours from speaking, a crowd has dispersed and the speaker contemplates leaving them all, with three hours to wonder and to fall. The song sits squarely in the folk tradition, with Drake's intimate vocal style and spare guitar arranging contributing to its contemplative mood. Its title and structure invite reflection on time, choice, and the moments that define a life, a theme that has sparked various interpretations among listeners.
