Who's gonna tell you when, it's too late
Who's gonna tell you things, aren't so great
You can't go on, thinkin', nothin's wrong
Who's gonna drive you home tonight

Who's gonna pick you up, when you fall
Who's gonna hang it up, when you call
Who's gonna pay attention, to your dreams
Who's gonna plug their ears, when you scream

You can't go on, thinkin', nothin's wrong
Who's gonna drive you home, tonight

Bye baby, bye baby, bye baby, bye baby

Who's gonna hold you down, when you shake
Who's gonna come around, when you break

You can't go on, thinkin' nothin's wrong
Who's gonna drive you home, tonight
Oh, you know you can't go on, thinkin', nothin's wrong
Who's gonna drive you home, tonight



Lyrics submitted by Brock256, edited by Oxenbrigg

Track duration: 03:54

"Drive" as written by Brandon Charles Boyd, Michael Aaron Einziger, Alex Katunich, Jose Anthony Pasillas Ii, Christopher E Kilmore

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Drive song meanings
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42 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Seems pretty obvious that this song about someone who is alienating everyone due to alcoholism.
    Flag Sweetpantson April 26, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is directed at someone avoiding all the problems in their life, I know, cause that's what I'm doing right now. A fatalistic person partying their life away so they don't have to face the harsh reality of things. There is also a sad desperation to this song, never knowing when it's too late, unable to admit that things aren't great, falling over with no one there to help you, no one will stop you from making those ridiculous phone calls... it's about him loving this person but also needing to give them their own time to heal. But maybe they will never face it. Not even sure how they will get home. Such a level of avoidance that they don't even consider ANYTHING brought up in the song. Because they just want to have fun and forget about the pain they are hiding.
    Flag raspyon April 19, 2013   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:You people are such idiots.

    The song is about one of the band member's sister who was involved in a drunk driving fatality.

    I was 17 when the song came out. Every DJ on earth and MTV diskjockey talked about it back then. No one talks about songs these days because the lyrics suck.
    Flag ShutUpDownon November 27, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Aren't these the lyrics to the Incubus song 'Drive'?
    Flag rockmelonson May 23, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I kinda think the video holds a lot of clues. Perhaps about a relationship where one party has some mental health issues, but Ben Orr is singing from the perspective of the person who sticks with that person anyways.
    Flag patsfanmasson July 03, 2011   Link
  • +1
    Memory:I've always had a hard time with this song, especially the line "You can't go on thinking nothing's wrong..."

    Whatever the reason, the man is saying that something serious happened.

    Since Ben Orr passed away, the song has a meaning to me outside of the video version. I had several relatives pass away around the same time, two of them with cancer. My relatives would tell me that everything would be okay, but I knew it wouldn't. Working in the medical profession, I see way too much sadness.

    Just reading this thread is enough to bring me to tears.
    Flag lyricismon June 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Before watching the music video, I always just assumed the song was either about someone with a drug problem or just a general breakup, and that the singer was saying he wouldn't be there for his now-ex anymore.

    Watching the music video entirely changed my perspective on this. It's clear that the woman is suffering from some sort of mental illness; having bipolar disorder with rapid cycling myself, I recognized the seemingly too swift changes in mood the woman experienced. Like her, I can go from depressed to a sort of blissed-out happy state to being furious and scared and unable to help myself get out of it very quickly.

    I liked the song better before I thought the man was leaving someone with a mental illness. I know it's draining for people to handle these sorts of problems in someone else, but it's largely through the help of my boyfriend that I'm getting better. I think illnesses like that should be divulged early on in a relationship so that you don't build a support system that isn't actually going to be there when you need them.
    Flag thisisheron May 23, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:The song is about a guy trying to have a one night stand with a girl and being a creeper about it.
    Flag yupohwellon May 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:To me this goes to an almost primal fear of having no home nor any way to get there - and no one to help.
    Flag Lmac1970on January 16, 2011   Link
  • -3
    Song Meaning:THE REAL TRUTH OF THIS SONG - MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL THAT YOU THINK.
    ==================================================================

    This song is from GOD and it's meaning is simple unlike the narrow meanings I have seen.

    It is sung toward hopelessly lost individuals (in general) by godly people who love them.

    The rest is details. The message is simple. There is a person in your life past or present that cared or cares enough about you to tell you the hard truth about your situation. They are your best friend but probably go unnoticed and uncared for by you. They were sent by God to drive you home..to heaven.


    1. "Who's gonna tell you when it's too late?" = Who's going to care enough to tell you that your in danger of losing your salvation.

    2. "Who's gonna tell you things aren't so great?" Who's going to care enough to tell you that despite what you think, this world, property and the way your living is anything but great.

    3. "You can't go on thinking nothings wrong." Wake up. Stop being ignorant about God and subscribing to moral relativity.

    4. "Who's gonna drive you home tonight?" = Who's the person right now trying to drive you to your eternal home (heaven).
    Flagged jdrudyon September 10, 2010   Link

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