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Driving home to be with you
The highway's dividing, the city's in view
As usual I'm almost on time
You're the last thing that's on my mind
I wish I could tell you the way that I feel
But tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
No commotion, no screaming brakes
Most of it's over before I awake
From the ceiling my coffee cup drips
While out my window the horizon does flips
The worst part was hitting the ground
Not the feeling so much as the sound
Can't help but wonder if all this is real 'cause
Tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
Rubberneck traffic and passers-by
Slow Motion Walter the fire engine guy
Stand around with their mouths open wide
I heard some idiot ask if someone's inside
With the Jaws of Life they tried and they tried
Nobody here can know how I feel 'cause
Tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
I guess it's over now
Because I've never seen so much,
Never seen so much, never seen
So much blood
In all the confusion there's something serene
I'm just a posthumous part of the scene
Now I'm floating above looking in
As the radio blares and wheels spin
I can see my face slumped with a grin
And you, you're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind.
The highway's dividing, the city's in view
As usual I'm almost on time
You're the last thing that's on my mind
I wish I could tell you the way that I feel
But tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
No commotion, no screaming brakes
Most of it's over before I awake
From the ceiling my coffee cup drips
While out my window the horizon does flips
The worst part was hitting the ground
Not the feeling so much as the sound
Can't help but wonder if all this is real 'cause
Tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
Rubberneck traffic and passers-by
Slow Motion Walter the fire engine guy
Stand around with their mouths open wide
I heard some idiot ask if someone's inside
With the Jaws of Life they tried and they tried
Nobody here can know how I feel 'cause
Tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel
I guess it's over now
Because I've never seen so much,
Never seen so much, never seen
So much blood
In all the confusion there's something serene
I'm just a posthumous part of the scene
Now I'm floating above looking in
As the radio blares and wheels spin
I can see my face slumped with a grin
And you, you're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind.
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Personally I think most of the comments have cleared up any confusion but thought I would throw in my $.02 anyway.
He's driving home, in no hurry to get to her and has a tragic accident.
Up until this moment he's thinking about everything but her.
After the accident all the stupid things he was focused on are being mocked in his last thoughts (my coffee cups drips, slow motion walter [love the deep purple reference to an unneccessary loss] and rubberneck traffic). It's not until he realizes he's dead and he's lost everything that he suddenly is focused on her. He suddenly realizes he let too much crap get in the way of what was important.
Interestingly, it's told in two different time perspectives...he mentions at the beginning it's the night he fell asleep at the wheel, an event that's already happened, but then goes back and discusses the events of the accident as if they are happening now.
You're the last thing that's on my mind
I wish I could tell you the way that I feel
I believe he was on his way to break up with her and the ending "You're the last thing on my mind" is him saying, he's still thinking about everything and everyone but her when he dies."
Wow, you've really missed the point!
There is NOTHING in the song to make you think he is ready to break up. She was the last thing he thought about before dying because he is thinking about her in the song as he is dying and at the end he sings:
"as the radio blares and wheels spin,
I can see my face slump with a grin,
and you"
He sees himself dying and her.
I understand the "double meaning" of the lyric "last thing on my mind", but I like to think, as he is looking down on himself, seeing himself happy because he died thinking of the person that he loved.
This is one of my favorite songs
I can see my face slump with a grin
Mostly though I agree with most others here when they say the "you" is his significant other and she's the last thing on his mind, and therefore the last thing he thought about before he died, hence his grin.
This song is beautiful.
The barenaked ladies are often underestimated by those who don't really listen to their songs. As much as those guys fool around on stage their songs are incredibly insightful and full with significance, symbolism etc. It's amazing.
Steven Page has an incredible voice that they often don't take advantage of.
Also, the song could mean how people tend to go through parts of the day in autopilot, aka a dream. He's driving home and crashes, and is wondering if " if all this is real." His dreamlike state is slightly ironic since the character fell asleep at the wheel and in sleep, people dream. Plus, he floats above the crash like he's in a dream. However, the scene is made real by the character seeing "so much blood."
I like how the song points out the change in the character's pace. First, the crash goes by in a flash and afterwards, everything is going in slow motion.
On a more personal note, I love this song.