Music isn't always about the melody. Sometimes, it is about the literal minutes ticking by when you’re trying to survive yourself. If you’ve spent any time listening to Jason DeFord—the man the world knows as Jelly Roll—you know he doesn't do "shallow." He does grit. He does the basement floor. He does the 3:00 AM phone call nobody wants to answer.
When we talk about time of day Jelly Roll lyrics or the vibe of his song "Time of Day" featuring Struggle Jennings, we aren't just talking about a track on an album. We’re talking about a specific kind of psychological clock. For anyone who has struggled with addiction, "time of day" is a loaded phrase. It’s the difference between a productive morning and a night spent spiraling into old habits.
Honestly, the song is a masterpiece of vulnerability. It’s raw.
Jelly Roll has this uncanny ability to make you feel like you’re sitting in the passenger seat of his truck while he drives through the outskirts of Nashville, venting about his demons. It’s not polished pop. It’s muddy. It’s real. And that’s exactly why it resonates with millions of people who feel like the "polite" world doesn't have a place for them.
The Raw Reality of Time of Day Jelly Roll and Struggle Jennings
The track "Time of Day" appears on the Waylon & Willie IV project, a collaborative effort with his long-time friend and fellow artist Struggle Jennings. If you know the history there, it adds layers to the music. Struggle is the grandson of Waylon Jennings and the step-grandson of Willie Nelson. He carries a massive legacy, but he also carries a history of incarceration and struggle—hence the name.
When these two get together, they aren't trying to win a Grammy for the most complex metaphor. They are trying to stay sober. They are trying to be better fathers.
The song basically addresses the people who only want a piece of you when you're up, or conversely, the people who try to drag you back down when you're trying to walk the straight line. Jelly Roll sings about how he doesn't have the "time of day" for the fakes anymore.
It’s a boundary.
Think about that for a second. For someone who spent years in and out of the justice system—Jelly Roll has been to jail some 40 times—learning to say "I don't have time for this" is a massive developmental milestone. It is a survival tactic.
Why the 24-Hour Cycle Matters in Recovery
In the world of the time of day Jelly Roll describes, the clock is an enemy. You’ve probably heard the phrase "nothing good happens after midnight." For a lot of folks in the recovery community, that isn't a cliché; it’s a rule of thumb.
Nighttime is when the noise gets loud.
Jelly Roll’s music often tackles the concept of "The Morning After." He has another massive hit, "Save Me," which touches on similar themes of being broken and feeling irredeemable. But "Time of Day" is more about the social aspect of that brokenness. It's about the parasites.
- There are the "friends" who only call when they need a hookup.
- There are the family members who only reach out when you're famous.
- There’s the industry that wants the "outlaw" image but doesn't want to deal with the outlaw's trauma.
The song is a middle finger to all of that.
The Sound of Tennessee Grime
Musically, the track doesn't follow the standard Nashville formula. It’s got that heavy, southern-fried hip-hop beat blended with a country soul. You can hear the influence of 8Ball & MJG just as much as you can hear Johnny Cash.
It’s heavy.
Jelly Roll’s voice has this distinct rasp—a byproduct of years of smoke, shouting, and probably a lot of tears. It isn't pretty. It’s effective. When he says he doesn't have the "time of day," you believe him because he sounds exhausted. He sounds like a man who has run out of patience for the nonsense that used to define his life.
Struggle Jennings brings a different energy. His flow is tighter, more aggressive. It provides the perfect counterweight to Jelly’s melodic, soulful hooks. Together, they represent a subculture of "Country Rap" or "Hick-Hop" that many critics turned their noses up at for years.
But guess who didn't turn their noses up? The fans.
The people buying these records are the ones working 60 hours a week in factories, the ones in rural towns hit hard by the opioid crisis, and the ones who feel like mainstream country music is too "sparkly" for their actual lives.
Breaking Down the Misconceptions
One thing people get wrong about Jelly Roll is thinking he’s just "another rapper trying to go country."
Nope.
He’s a singer-songwriter who happened to start in rap because that was the language of the streets he grew up in. If you look at the lyrics of "Time of Day," the structure is pure storytelling. It’s narrative-driven. It’s about the struggle to maintain your peace of mind when your past is constantly trying to tap you on the shoulder.
Most people think success fixes everything. It doesn't.
In fact, for someone like Jelly, success brings a whole new set of vultures. That’s what "Time of Day" is really navigating. How do you stay "Real" (a word that is overused but applies here) when everyone wants a piece of your new life?
Practical Lessons from the Lyrics
If we look past the beat and the fame, there are some pretty heavy life lessons tucked into this track. It’s basically a masterclass in setting boundaries.
- Guard your energy. Not everyone deserves a seat at your table, especially if they weren't there when the table was empty.
- Acknowledge the clock. Understand that your "vulnerability windows" change throughout the day. If you know you're prone to bad decisions at 11:00 PM, that’s when you need to shut the world out.
- Loyalty is earned. Jelly Roll and Struggle Jennings have been friends since they were "broke and dusty." That kind of loyalty is different from the kind you find at a VIP party.
It’s interesting to see how Jelly Roll’s career has exploded since "Time of Day" was released. He went from a niche underground artist to winning New Artist of the Year at the CMAs at age 38. That doesn't happen. It’s a statistical anomaly.
But it happened because he stayed consistent with this message. He didn't change his "time of day" for the cameras.
The Evolution of the "Outlaw"
Back in the 70s, the Outlaw Country movement was about Waylon and Willie fighting the Nashville system to play the music they wanted. Today, Jelly Roll and Struggle Jennings are the modern iteration of that. They aren't just fighting a "system"; they are fighting a stigma.
The stigma of being a felon. The stigma of having tattoos on your face. The stigma of coming from the wrong side of the tracks.
When Jelly Roll sings, he is speaking for a silent majority of people who have "messed up" their lives and are trying to rebuild. "Time of Day" is the anthem for that rebuild. It’s the sound of someone putting up a "No Trespassing" sign on their soul.
Actionable Takeaways for the Listener
If you find yourself hitting "repeat" on this track, it might be because you're feeling the same pressure. Here is how to actually apply the "Time of Day" philosophy to your own life without needing to be a multi-platinum recording artist.
Audit your Inner Circle
Take a look at your call log from the last week. How many of those people are there to give, and how many are there to take? If the "take" column is longer, you’re giving away too much of your time. You literally do not have the time of day for them if you want to grow.
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Identify Your "High-Risk" Hours
We all have a time of day when we are weakest. For some, it’s the lonely hour right after work. For others, it’s the early morning anxiety. Identify it. Label it. Then, create a "firewall" for that time. Put the phone away, go to the gym, or dive into a hobby.
Own Your Narrative
Don't let people define you by who you were five years ago. Jelly Roll doesn't shy away from his past, but he doesn't let it pilot the plane anymore. You can acknowledge where you’ve been without letting it dictate where you’re going.
The story of Jelly Roll is far from over. As he continues to dominate the charts, songs like "Time of Day" serve as a reminder of where he came from. They are the anchors.
Stop letting people who don't care about your future control your present. Start by being more selective with your "time of day." Protect your peace like it’s the most valuable thing you own—because, honestly, it is.
Next Steps for Your Playlist and Mindset
- Listen to the full Waylon & Willie IV album to get the context of the Jelly Roll and Struggle Jennings partnership.
- Track your moods for 48 hours to see if certain "times of day" trigger specific anxieties or cravings.
- Practice the "Power of No." Identify one person or obligation this week that is draining you and politely decline to give them your "time of day."