Lyrics for Tonight Is The Night I Fell Asleep At Th... as interpreted by ojms

Tonight Is The Night I Fell Asleep At Th... Lyrics
Driving home to be with you
The highway's divided, 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 passersby
And 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 slump 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

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abbster89
12-15-2008

Rated 0 
I read on wikipedia that this song is written about Ed Robertson's brother who died in a motorcycle accident. This was Ed's interpretation on what it must have been like. In this regard I sometimes like to think that the "you" being referred to is actually Ed. Why would you be thinking about your brother on your way home right?

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.

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unelunebleu
11-12-2008

Rated 0 
This song could symbolize how we take life and everything we have in life for granted. The character driving home expecting to return to his girl but death intervenes. Now because he hasn't told her his feelings and is dying, he regrets it.

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.

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AmaranthaMae
05-27-2008

Rated 0 
I agree with the double meaning of the phrase "you're the last thing on my mind". Which has been keeping me captivated by this song since the album first came out.

Now, I have been in a pretty serious car accident, not anything close to the one described in the song.

But, when people start going into shock, they start to pay attention to the dumbest things. For me it was a cd in the back seat, I wanted to make sure it wasn't scrachted, (it was even a burned mixed one).

In the song he goes on about everything else, but his significant other. He's talking about the coffee cup dripping, the EMS guys, the radio. Nothing remotely significant. It could be like the shock, how you're aware of everything but what's important.

It's not omg, I'm dying. It's omg, look at the mess, and those idiots watching.

The music reminds me of a circus. I can picture the rubberneckers watching the scene. As though it's the audience at a show. I like the trapeze picture daneypops paints in their comment. The sommersault off the end.

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daneypops
05-26-2008

Rated 0 
forgot to say - the circus music? i think that's because the car is like a tightrope walker - it makes me think of the car weaving the lanes before it crashes - will it go off the edge, won't it? it nearly loses its balance a few times and then it goes, then the flip when it finally rolls off and tumbles over and over - like a somersault off the trapeze.

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daneypops
05-26-2008

Rated 0 
i agree with what most people have said. at first, he's got 100 things to think about and not her, and by the end he genuinely has her as the last thing on his mind as he is dreaming of her when he crashes.
the thing i find most beautiful is the line 'i can see my face slumped with a grin' - there is absolute chaos all round him, paramedics, fire engine etc, shouting and noise and carnage, and he's in the middle of it blissfully unaware, out of it all now.
an amazing play on words and a beautiful song

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abesimpson
05-07-2008

Rated 0 
So I am late coming in on this thing ... but I felt I had to comment on what is one of my favorite songs and wondering why my opinon on the end hasn't been posed.

The whole song is through the eyes of the man that dies. He describes where he driving to, what he remebers about the crash, the reaction of the other drivers, the rescue crew ... all in good detail.

Then we get to the end:
Now I'm floating above looking in
As the radio blares and wheels spin
... he's still describing what he sees, but he is leaving his mortality behind. I still feel he is still looking through his mind at this point, just not though his physical eyes. Floating above his body ... and seeing what he sees. Then ..
I can see my face slump with a grin
And you... you're the last thing on my mind
In my opinion, this is where his mind stops. But (and I know this is punctuation, but it is everything), I don't feel he is singing "I can see my face slump with a grin. And you ... you are the last thing on my mind" as if that is where that statement is coming from. For me, the word "you" is not leading into the next statement, but symbolizes the picture of the woman that was on his mind at the end. Like he is saying "I see A) my face slumped with a grin and B) you." or more importantly "I see you and because of that, my face has a grin."

The man knew it was the end, he knew the last breath was near, and he had enough control to grasp for of one thing - to picture the woman in his mind one last time. That thought, made him happy, and the last reflex his body had was to make him smile. In all that ugliness ... a moment of overwhelming beauty.

The most brilliant part of this song is the the contrast of the telling. This is an overly descriptive set of lyrics, and there was very little emotional words BNL used to tell this story. When they pulled it out, it was subtle ... a slumped face with a grin, and you.

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love_is_free
04-19-2008

Rated 0 
I love this song.

I think this song is about some one in a relationship in which they feel disconnected from, or have feelings that are unressolved and unsaid. The person thinks everytime they're driving home to be with their significant other about those feelings, and has thought of the circumstance where they are going home to them and plan on telling them finally when they get home about those feelings then they fall asleep at the wheel. At the beginning of the song "you're the last thing on my mind" is signifying the person not putting their significant other emotionally on a level of high priority. At the end of the song it comes full circle playing out the scenario for real. Expressing if he were to die, falling asleep at the wheel on the way home to his partner, even if he doesnt have feelings for them the way he should, they would be the last thing on his mind before he died because those feelings and their relationship would still be unresolved. The protaginist in this song expresses the fear of dying with this heavy weight of the person and what is unressolved on his mind.

I also think the death from the crash resulting from falling asleep while driving symbolizes being rid of the relationship. "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 slump with a grin"
As if falling asleep at the wheel is a conscious (excuse the pun) act, signifying giving up on the relationship, emotionally closing down; falling asleep at the wheel on the way home to his love.

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thesithwithashotgun
04-13-2008

Rated 0 
At first, I thought the bridge was about never being able to drive again, since he had basically killed the other driver. Then I found out what "posthumous" means, then I understood that the bridge was saying "I'm going to die. I've lost way to much blood to be able to survive this accident." And BTW, this all happened about 15 minutes ago. This perspective on the song is all completely new to me.

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motlehh
01-05-2008

Rated 0 
Also reminds me, I wrote a short story based on this song a few months ago. Although, I turned the narrator into a cheating husband. He was on the way home from his mistress' apartment when the accident happened, and it was only then that he realized he was still in love with his wife.

This song really makes me appreciate the people that I have in my life. I know I take them for granted sometimes, and listening to this makes me hate myself for that.

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motlehh
01-05-2008

Rated 0 
This is my favorite song, ever. Funny, too, because for the LONGEST time after I got the CD, I wouldn't listen to it because I couldn't stand the slowness of it. Obviously, I had never really listened to the lyrics or gave the song a chance.

One night a few summers ago, I actually listened to it (by mistake -- I was too lazy to get up and shut the song off or something) and absolutely fell in love with it. I remember putting it on repeat for the rest of the night and listening to it for hours.

The double entendre in "you're the last thing on my mind" gives me chills every time, and Steven's opera note at the end is freaking amazing. The song is just so disturbing, strange, and beautiful all at the same time. Only BNL could do something like this.

However, one thing I remember having read somewhere that REALLY got me thinking (I don't think it was on here, but I'm really too lazy to read through ALL of the interpretations)...is the point of view that the person's spouse/significant other/whatever is actually in the car with him. The whole ride home, she may be there but she doesn't really exist to him.

The last line of the song is what makes this interpretation seem plausible to me:

"I can see my face slump with a grin, and you...you're the last thing on my mind"

The "and you..." part, could mean he is actually seeing her next to him after he dies. It's a freaking creepy thought, but it does make sense to me. Of course, the song could be interpreted in more than one way, but I just thought this was an interesting take on it. Definitely weird. BNL is so goddamned clever.

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spookythebando
11-12-2007

Rated 0 
This song.... It's disturbed the hell out of me for many years. I think the most disturbing night was back in high school where the school put on a mock accident to show that drinking and driving on prom night = stupid... And this song kept playing in my head which made the whole mock accident feel almost surreal... (a close friend was playing one of the victims)
And in general... Steven's humour aside... This song is really depressing... I love the irony in the music as well... with the circus song that generally signals a good happy time... and the piccolo is used quite well -- the trill on the words 'so much blood' that ascends to the high note (I havn't heard it in a while and can't remember what key it's in to be able to tell you what note) always scares the crap out of me because it's just creepy in a weird ironic kind of haha way. I guess that's what I love and hate about BNL and why I only ever listen to them when I'm pretty down (even tho they are my favourite band)... A good majority of their depressing songs have very happy music.... And it's easy to over-analyzing what they really mean... ('Leave', for instance)
And chances are, we're all wrong on the true intended meaning. Steven Page loves doing that to everyone every chance he gets... Crafty of him...

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MyOwnHero18
07-11-2007

Rated 0 
I have to admit I didn't hear this song until the concert in SLC in 2006. Freaked me out the first time especially when Steve screamed at the end. I really like thi song now. I realize the true meaning is about a guy who drives home and falls asleep at the wheel. The line "your the last thing on my mind does have double meaning you can tell in steve's voice. Although taking this song a step further my own personal significance I attatch to this song is appreciate evryone you come in contact with because you never know when they will be removed by anything that takes them away from the earth. An automobile accident for example. Cool huh, I took a depressing song and gave it an uplifting message.

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Titian
06-16-2007

Rated 0 
And I forgot to say it, but Tonight is the Night ... is the last official song on the album so, "It ain't over until the fat lady sings" is particularly cogent.....

But then, they add a hidden track! Again, to me this is BNL humour.

Great fun!

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Titian
06-16-2007

Rated 0 
Hey, what about that last operatic note - that "Fat/Phat (Barenaked) Lady" singing that really heralds the end of the CD?? Isn't that funny, so cool? i.e. The usual reference to the operatic "It ain't over till the fat lady sings" and we get to hear Steve (who's probably considered the 'fat' lady, but hot is hot - fat, skinny or whatever) who belts out the big note.

Everytime I hear the entire song, it makes me laugh. Not in a macabre way, but with the wit and the humour. Thanks guys!!

I also agree with an earlier post that says the lyrics are, "You were the last thing on my mind". Past tense, not present as in "You're the last thing ..." Different perspective.

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udabac1
03-12-2007

Rated 0 
Well, the first time he says "the last thing on my mind," I figure it means that he's not really thinking about her. But when he says it at the very end, I'm torn. Does he mean that he's dying and realizing his life is over and his girlfriend/wife gets crowded out of his thoughts? Or does he mean that, although he sometimes was distracted, she was so important that she was the very last thought he had before he died? Either meaning makes sense, and that's why I love this song. What mood I'm in sort of determines what meaning I think of.

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selfishisgorgeous
01-30-2007

Rated 0 
BnL are such clever song writers not just lyricly but musically as well and this is them at their best. the double entendre in "you're the last thing on mind" just highlights this. pure brilliance

"as usual, I'm almost on time", what a cleverly optimistic way of saying you're always late. love it

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delial
07-24-2006

Rated 0 
clever is an understatement!

this song has always been one of my favorites, and when i first heard this was long before I was even close to loving anyone in "that way" ... but now, years later, I have to say that this song should play at my funeral for sure, because i have loved, i do love, and i can identify with the message this song gives out 100%. I love the way the music seems at odds with the lyrics. it's got that twisted humor I love about the magnetic fields[i guess BNL led to my love for MF...heh].

and yeah, I love the way "the last thing on my mind" is used here. it reminds me of when people were usng uncle cracker's "follow me" as their wedding song before they realized the actual meaning of the song. i guess you could interpret this as an anti-love song, but when you really read the lyrics, you have to realize that someone being the last thing he thinks about before he dies is probably not a negative thing. :P

there's something so deeply romantic about being THE last thing on someone's mind, to me. it makes you wonder whose mind you will be on when he/she expires. the imagery in this song is awesome, too. i guess in a way this gives hope to anyone who feels neglected or just plain forgotten. when push comes to shove, and in the middle of bad shit going down, people will remember you again, because the truth about how they feel comes shining through when everything else is stripped away.

"as the radio blares and wheels spin
I can see my face slump with a grin,"

my favorite lines. i love when so much is said with so little. now every time i go on long trips, i find myself thinking "what would people say if, amidst the wreckage, they heard THIS playing on the radio?" ...there's something really creepy in the thought that music would play on while you're dying.

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AntBMSU
07-06-2006

Rated 0 
Wow, thats a stretch...to the fifth dimension. Where are you pulling that from?

'You're the last thing on my mind' has two meanings. Thats what makes the song clever.

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foldsbaldwin
06-19-2006

Rated 0 
It's NOT a love song. He's saying the girl is the last thing he's worried about.

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.

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Method Acting
06-05-2006

Rated 0 
"You're the last thing on my mind" is used at first to describe how he is not even thinking of the girl, meaning he has his attention focused on other things. At the end, he uses it so say that it is the last, as final thing that he thinks of before he dies. Great song.

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I_LOVE_CAMP
04-18-2006

Rated 0 
Just to let you guys know, the lyrics are wrong here. It makes alot more sense with the right ones. It's You were the last thing on my mind- not You're the last thing on my mind.

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Occams_Harmony
04-16-2006

Rated 0 
This song, although disturbing, is surely one of the best from BNL. The meaning is pretty simple. He's coming home from work on the highway, not really thinking about his wife or anything. He falls asleep driving, wakes up when he crashes. People try to save him, they fail and he dies, all the while not thinking about his wife or anything, only that he's dead and done for. Disturbing, yes, but quite funny and very well written.

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gyakutenno
01-28-2006

Rated 0 
Never mind about Napster. I get it. Who's saying "Hidden Sun" ISN'T a hidden song? I need to read people's posts before I start kvetching about Napster.

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gyakutenno
01-28-2006

Rated 0 
Oh, dear, creepy. BNL singing about dying. No, no, don't die! Actually, you know what's really strange? On Napster it started playing a strange song, sounded like BNL, right after this one. Said it was this one and everything but it wasn't. Something about butterflies. Is that supposed to happen? Anyway, it's an awesomely freaky effect that it's from the perspective of a guy who's dead- or as good as. I shuddered so badly my earbuds fell out!

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Thanksthatwuzfun
01-24-2006

Rated 0 
srry i ment to say "Hidden Sun" not hidden song

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