Third Eye Blind: Motorcycle Driveby Meaning
Motorcycle Driveby Lyrics
And I dont know what Im doing in this city,
The sun is always in my eyes,
It crashes through the windows, and Im sleeping on the couch,
When I came to visit you,
Thats when I...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:Heres the way I take it:
the song is about a guy who goes to see the girl he loves (who lives in Lower Chelsea) (Summer time and the wind is blowing, outside in lower chelsea. And I don't know what Im doing in this city...) but she doesn't love him back (Im sleeping on the couch, When I came to visit you, Thats when I knew that I could never have you...). But he knows he was stupid for still trying (I knew that before you did, Still Im the one whos stupid...). And yet he still feels the burning inside for her (and there's this burning, like there's always been,
Ive never been so alone, and Ive never been so alive...). He rides his motorcycle and in his mind he sees her smiling and describes how "guiltless and free" she is (Visions of you on a motorcycle drive by, The cigarette ash flies in your eyes, and you don't mind, you smile, And say the world doesn't fit with you. I don't believe you, you're so serene. Careening through the universe, your axis on a tilt, you're guiltless and free...) and that even though she won't have him he hopes she will remember him (I hope you take a piece of me with you...). He goes on to say that he wants a relationship with her and that even though she doesn't love him he still feels the burning (And there's things Id like to do that you don't believe in, I would like to build something, but youd never see it happen. And there's this burning, like there's always been, I've never been so alone, and ive, Ive never been so alive...). The next verse depicts the guy giving up and he is angry. He hates New York City (Wheres the soul. I want to know, new york citys evil. The surface is everything, but I could never do that...). He also shows that he's moved on, but still he feels the fire (And this is the last time, well be friends again. And Ill get over you, you'll wonder, who I am. And there's this burning, just like there's always been, Ive never been so alone, alone, and ive, and ive, Ive never been so alive, so alive...).
The last verse I am uncertain about but here's my take:
He drives home on his motorcycle in the rain and drives it off a bridge because it is the only way he can deal with not having her (I go home to the coast. It starts to rain, I paddle out on the water alone. Taste the salt and taste the pain. Im not thinking of you again...). Then night time comes and he drowns (Summer dies and swells rise, the sun goes down in my eyes, see this rolling wave, darkly coming to take me, home...). But no matter what, there's still the burning (And I never been so alone, and Ive never been so alive...).
one of the most beautiful songs ever written. -
Every time I hear this song, it makes me want to cry. I lost my best friend, who I had gone out with for a little over 3 years. But because of irreconcilable differences, we broke up. We hadn't talked for a few months. And come to find out a year later, he was diagnosed with acute leukemia. I went to visit him in the hospital and that night, he had told me that he hoped I would come and see him. Because he was so worried that I would cry if he died before I got to say goodbye. And an hour later, he passed away with me holding his hand. And this song reminds me of him so much. Makes me feel like he's still here with me.
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Actually, this song is about a couple. at one point when he came to visit his girl, the singer realized he was in conflict in their relationship. The singer is having a conflict because though they are together and love each other, they differ in their ideologies in life. They have different ways of looking at the world, different pursuits as implied in the lines "but there's things i'd like to do that you don't believe in, I would like to build something but you'll never see it happen".
that part when he said "where's the soul I wanna know, the new york city's evil, the surface is everything but I could never do that" he was like saying, he doesn't believe the man that he has become at moment is what he really wants. new york city was a representation of a way of life that he didn't believe in and yet because of his relationship, he bent to live that way, that was the civil war inside him.
the "burning" that the singer is talking about is a dream, an aspiration that he wants to achieve in life, something that would give him meaning for his existence. That's why the chorus says he's alone and yet he's never been so alive. The relationship was keeping him from his sense of fulfillment. He clearly loved the woman but he could not deny the fact that his sould is searching for something much more.
at the end of the song, the guy chooses to live out his own ideologies. and he heads home, to the way of living he believes in to pursue what he believes in that is the reason why he despite being away from the girl he said "ive never been so alone and i, and i, I've never been so alive". -
I agree with your interpretation, except for the last part. He doesn't drive off a bridge and drown...
he returns to the west coast and he's surfing. "paddling out... swells rise... darkly coming to carry me home..."
he rides the wave back into shore.
And moves on with his life.
He enjoys, and finds solace in, the solitary nature of surfing at night. -
I totally agree with your interpretation. I have been listening to this song for the last few days and its helped me relate with my current situation with a girl. just told a girl i have had feelings for her, but she sees us as nothing but friends. when i told her we were in my backyard during a summer night and the wind was blowing outside.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I think that the song is about someone he likes but she does not return the feeling although they are close , she only sees it as a close friendship or maybe just a bit of fun. He feels he has to move on and the only way to do this is to not see her anymore. " I could never have you ,i knew that before you did, stil I'm the one hus stupid". He is tryin to move on and thinks she feels no remorse for what she has done to him "your guiltless and free". Her access is on a tilt and she can't see what she's done to him.
" I would like to build somethin , but ud never see it happen "...she doesn't want n e fin more than a bit of fun where he wants a real relationship. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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