Dave Matthews Band – Drive In, Drive Out

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I hear more than I like to
So I boil my head in a sense of humor
I laugh at what I cannot change
I throw it all on the pyre again
Go then and do this
I'd do it for you
When all that I want is so badly to be
By myself again
It's going to drive me right out of my brain

Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'll come back again
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out

I don't care if we all turn to waste
So when I beg you avoid me
Because I smell of dirt
Hungry, hungry boy
You won't leave me all alone
The boy won't go

Sooner or later we're done
Sooner or later I'm gone
Because, because
Sooner or later we're gone
Sooner away

Oh, my head is pounding now
God has all but left me behind
Not a note of worry
I'm going to drive in and drive out again

Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'll come
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out

I'm over this arrangement
Around here: emptiness
Sounded so good
I want to drive you right into my world

Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'll come
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out

Send "Drive In, Drive Out" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae

Track duration: 05:55


Drive In, Drive Out song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:Carter Beauford FTW!
    Flag TheMonolithon August 06, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is about having thoughts about his short life and that he doesnt need to worry about anything because he will eventually die and doesnt know what will happen. he wants to be alone but then when hes alone he wants company again "drive in drive out". the version during the gorge 2002 is different and has all this. he says "Don't care just because we turn to dust, cause you and I are made of flesh and bones and god oh we must", "sooner or later were gone, sooner or later gone because because because, sooner or later were done". "my head is pounding now, sometimes it seems god has left me behind, then again why should i worry? i could just make up a new god and have a funky tea party of my own". "I use to think being alright and being alone would be good, but then i was alone and started hearing voices going no no no".
    Flag UGAdmbon March 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:anyone else like the red rocks version from 1995 more? the lyrics are different then the one's posted here
    Flag thisissteve0on February 17, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I specifically went out of my way to pull this song up just so that I can mention what thejames already pointed out

    in the very closing seconds you can hear someone (I think it was Boyd) saying THAT is some BAD SHIT!!!

    I've literally sat down and played those last 2 bars to close the song on my bass over and over again for half hours at a time

    A E A, G Gb, E D, C B, G D, G D, A E A

    never ever gonna forget it

    and, of course, the percussion is amazing

    you can have all the under the table and dreaming's upbeat style you want

    and you can have all of before these crowded streets' deep twisted experimentations and time signature switches you want

    and you can have all the slick, smooth, jazzy Everyday feel you want

    and you can have all the low, deep, resounding carnival of sound Busted Stuff brings that you want

    as far as the studio material is concerned,

    you can't top Crash

    YOU CAN'T TOP CRASH!!

    THAT IS SOME BAAAAAAD SHIT!!!
    Flag T_D_Phoenixon June 22, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it is about lack of commitment and simply getting out of a relationship or a life situation as quick as you got in. "Drive in drive out" But also being indecisive...it's a guy who can't make up his mind...it's confusion-perfectly defined.

    Broken down:
    Verse One: "I hear more than I like to.....out of my brain." Someone who can't handle that truth and reality so he makes it into a joke. Then he's being pulled around by what others say, he just wants to find how he feels not what people tell him.

    Chorus:
    "Drive in....drive out"
    Indecisive, leaving and coming back. Not making up mind.

    "I don't care...the boy won't go."
    He's refering to himself as the boy, saying immaturity and the attitude of a child won't go. Cynical ideas of not caring and wanting are derived from that part of him.

    "Sooner or later...Sooner away."
    Seize the moment. He realizes he must choose but can't.

    "Ooh my head...drive out again"
    He's hurting trying so hard to decide and no one seems to care, not even god is helping. He's going to be in the same place at the end.

    "I'm over this arrangement..into my world"
    Then he leaves it all behind whether it be his old life, his relationship, or past empitiness without god. Now he finally gives in with my favorite line "I want to drive you right into my world."

    I do believe it may be a spiritual awakening. Either way it's about realizing something is bad and changing or leaving it behind.
    Flag HrtShapedBoxon March 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Alright, but what about the congas? There is molto percussion on this track--and everyone is responsible for the time AND the groove, from the bass to the rhythm guitar to anyone playing anything. But I mention the conga hits because they are so prevalent in the breaks toward the end creating a scaffolding into which the time can be suspended. There is a lot of layering on the studio track. (Beauford doesn't need that effect live, though.)

    Now lyrically, I always thought this song had sexual overtones...
    Me2's cigarette as going in and out of the body, notwithstanding...sex is a drug as well, especially in an emotionally bad relationship.

    If you've ever been in a relationship that is going nowhere but the sex is good...well you just gotta wonder why you would keep going back for more. Could be because you are addicted to the feelings you get from being physically with that person--driving in. But if you care about your emotional well-being, then at some point, you can lose yourself in anger which makes you drive out. But like any addiction, the power it has over you can make you come back again.

    There is a spiritualism to being able to walk away for good. And there is a spiritualism in the synchronicity betweenthe layers of themes discussed here and the layers of percussive sounds on the track.

    This is a groove that totally gets inside of you because you know these emotions all too well--even if you've never experienced them first-hand. I think it's inherited in the evolution of the human mind.
    Flag GreyBlueEyeson August 24, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Carter Beauford is a god.

    I've loved DMB for many many years, and I feel rather embarrassed now...I always thought it was "I throw it all on the pile again," but pyre totally makes more sense.
    Flag cityondown78on August 13, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song about Carter Beauford going drum psycho.
    Flag OpinionHeadon June 20, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Definition of karma cycles - by the title.
    Reincarnation sounds like this, "I'll come back again".
    Dave sounds drunk as hell on this track.
    EXCELLENT ! ! !


    Carter Beauford Rules, indeed. This is a highlight of his approach to drum, since his hands are switched, and ride cymbal is closer to him. BAD MOTHAF***A !
    Flag Mr.TreeUpsidedownon July 19, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this is observing the soul of dave in finite and absolute time simultaneously.
    this song is a parallel to cigarette lit. something going in and out of daves body. but in this song its dave himself (his mind).
    too much truth is like too much falsehoods. we first experience the event then we have to filter it out by stepping away from the noise. in this case theres a balance where we find silence. it is by stepping out of the crowded streets within our human brain of noise to another place.
    dave like everyone else was born seperated from God. God found him and tuckled him up and now shelters dave. but dave still has to operate in his finite life.
    his body demands his attention. his everyday activities requires dave to observe and interract..and its being identified as death to dave. he doesnt like it. he wants to leave the confusion and noise.

    when his body demands his souls attention...he must "drive in" to rescue "dave". and he soon desires to leave once again...(to drive out)

    when we are tempted we all as sinners react. the works in our human bodies that we perform must be burned because of its finiteness. whats daves answer..laugh at everything..make it into a joke. and then throws it into the fire to be destroyed.
    this is an activity of burning daves "works"..while dave is in his finite body..and turning to God to shelter him once again..
    its a christian process of dying to self...of being judged and burning non acceptable works..
    hes hungry for Gods truth and mercy..but his body must experience the knowledge of good and evil.
    this is daves weird way of describing his observations..
    Flag Me2on June 26, 2005   Link

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