A summer drive away from dying A broken heart, nothing to lose I know it hurts so bad just trying To please the ones you hate to love And I wrote this note About someone I used to know So I'd remember how life can be so short When your left alone to wonder How it is someone opens and shuts the door And I know you're cold but come home It's a shame how short we all have come You set your mind on cruise control Knuckles grip the wheel in fear to let it go Love is empty, love is cruel Love, it blindly breaks the rules How could you have been a fool? It's something all of us go through You choke back tears and swallow lies But those wiper blades won't fix you eyes Count on having clouded vision for at least a little while And I know you're cold but come home It's a shame how short we all have come And I know you're cold but come home Please don't face the headlights Of the oncoming cars along We won't forget the past We won't forget the past And I know you're cold Say all the answers and I will let you go I won't look back and I won't look back Say all the answers and I will let you go I will let you go and I will let you go Say all the answers and I will let you go I won't look back and I won't look back Say all the answers and I will let you go I will let you go and I will let you go (Say all the answers and I will let you go) You're gone (I won't look back and I won't look back) Please don't face the headlights (Say all the answers and I will let you go) Of the oncoming cars along (I will let you go) And I will let you go



Lyrics submitted by eltroyo11

Track duration: 04:58

"Headlights" as written by Matthew Mac Donald

Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY

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Headlights song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:Excellent
    Flag migrationson January 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song reminds me so much of a good friend who committed suicide by jumping in front of a car in the middle of the night. we tried to help her with her problems. she regularly went to a therapist, and was on anti-depressant drugs that made everything worse. we would sit in the middle of the median watching the cars rush past us talking about everything and nothing. one night she left her house and made the decision to end it all.
    Flag juiceboxwhaton September 29, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:A while back I actually sent a message to tcc asking them what this song was about and they messaged me back with something along the lines of I don't like to stamp meanings on songs but it's basically about "losing someone, and driving"
    Based off of that I think it's about someone who has lost a loved one and driving is not only the action he is doing but it also has symbols for what is happening to him physically. Wiper blades wiping away tears, he'll be sad for a while so don't bother drying the tears, also about facing the headlights alone, they are like challenges on the road of life. The narrator wants the person to come back and face the problem with them
    Flag The Blastorityon August 25, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this is about (like everyone else said) letting go and moving on, and how hard it is to do.
    Flag singitlouddon August 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Hey guys, I know there's the huge debate over if they are a "Christian band" or not and if Tooth & Nail is a "christian label". I have a bit of unique perspective on this as I am a musician and my old band had some dealings with T&N and some great friends of mine (Through A Glass) are discussing a deal with T&N. I myself am a Christian as were the guys in my old band and as are Through A Glass (I go to church with them here in Nashville) but neither my band nor TAG are specifically a "Christian band". Of course our personal faith comes through in our song writing because is part of who we are not only as believers but as musicians and songwriters. But I don't think christian who are in music are required by God to limit themselves to writing strictly only about Him and "Christian topics". Personally I think that kind of thinking in the music industry and general public is the main cause of most "Christian music" being considered sub-par and while it is true sometimes that is the case it's not universal. I guess I said this to say I would say that The Classic Crime is not a "Christian band" even though the members are Christians themselves. And T&N is not a "Christian label" even though the overwhelming majority of their artists are Christians as are the founders and staff at T&N and those deeply personal beliefs will come through in everything they do. Hope this helps with the confusion. Much love!
    Flag Prometheus000on April 08, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is so powerful, this band continues to make excellent music.
    Flag tracy 82109on December 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song reminds me of a sucky period in my life...especially the second verse...more specifically the line "how could you have been a fool?" for i was a fool. anyway...just a few things that spark in my mind when i read the lyrics:

    "i know you're cold" = the person he's referring to is dead...
    "come home" = the person is (hopefully) in heaven but he wants them to come back...so they won't be "cold" anymore
    "it's a shame how short we all have come" = maybe a reference to the verse romans 3:23...for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

    "it's something all of us go through" = we all either experience losing a loved one (in his case) OR we all have moments of depression and suicidal thoughts (in the other person's case)

    i could go on but the song is actually pretty self-explanatory. i think it's meant to evoke hope in the face of depression even though it does carry a suicidal tone.
    Flag MattEllaon December 05, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I definitely agree with Matchbox
    This is an amazing song...
    "When you're left alone to wonder
    How it is someone opens and shuts the door"
    Very beautifully written and sung.
    Flag Neskicks7272007on November 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i agree with many of the things said in the above comments but i'd like to add one point that i don't think anyone else mentioned. the line "please don't face the headlights of the oncoming cars alone" doesnt seem to me as a literal standin front of a car suicide plea...but instead metaphorical. the person in the song is going through a lot of issues in their life and whether they are contemplating suicide or did indeed commit suicide is uncertain though it is possible because of the line "i will let you go" but anyway i digress...back to the point, when he sings "don'te face the headlights of the oncoming cars alone" he is saying "don't face life alone because it is overwhelming and often frightening much like staring into the headlights of an oncoming car, but if we face this together we can make it through"
    Flag thatguy517on September 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Yeah I agree with what a lot of you said, but I want to point out a few other things I've seen that back this up. First of all, The Classic Crime is a band that presents hope in a lot of their lyrics. In order to offer someone hope there must be a them of hopelessness in a lot of things they write. "I know you're cold, come home." really hits this point. When something is empty, it's cold. After you've lost someone you care about, and it's pushed you to the point of suicide (which the song makes apparent at the very beginning with "A summer's drive away from dying.") When someone is going through something painful you want them to know you're there for them. He says the note is about someone he used to know, and that he knows life can be short.

    So this is a revelation I haven't seen anyone piece together. This song is a song offering hope to people who are hopeless, and I feel that the person he wrote the song about did indeed kill themselves.

    So the song is so emotional because he's lost someone, and he wants the world to know that you don't have to take it to that level when there's pain.

    He also offers hope to someone who's going through this pain by saying "Please don't face the headlights of the oncoming cars alone."

    It's like saying, "I'll be there for you and with you, no matter what." which is more of the religious aspect of the song I believe. Something present in most of their songs.

    This is my first post here, btw, so I hope that analysis made sense.
    Flag MBSowardson April 16, 2007   Link

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