Remember last summer when we had the chance
To find each other, start making romance
But it didn't come off because you found another
Without one hand of a clock, what good is the other?

And I can't find no true love, oh baby, it's so hard
And I still think about you every time I'm riding in my car

So I went to the place where everybody hangs out
To see what everybody was talking about
And over in a corner all alone with you
Was a boy from last summer singing songs to you

And he can't sing like I can sing, oh, it's so hard
And I still think about you every time I'm riding in my car

When I'm home alone I can think of other things to do
But when I'm rolling in forward motion I think about only you

It's been a year and a day since I talked to you
I don't know how I made it, but I sure have been blue
And every time I think about what might have been
I jump in my car and start riding again

And I can't find no true love, oh baby, it's so hard
And I still think about you every time I'm riding in my car

Overall Meaning

The song Ridin’ in My Car by She & Him is a poignant reflection on the pain and longing of unrequited love. The lyrics describe a failed attempt at a summer romance, with the singer lamenting that they didn’t have “the chance to find each other” because the object of their affection “found another.” The metaphor of “without one hand of a clock, what good is the other?” suggests that the singer feels incomplete without their love interest, like a clock with only one hand.

The song then moves on to describe the singer’s search for solace and distraction, as they go to a place where “everybody hangs out” to try to forget about their lost love. However, they are reminded of their heartbreak when they see their love interest with someone else, singing songs to them. The refrain “And he can't sing like I can sing, oh, it's so hard / And I still think about you every time I'm riding in my car” highlights the pain of seeing someone you love with someone else, and the lingering regret that comes with lost love.

The final verse of the song describes the passing of time and the enduring sadness of unrequited love. The singer reflects on their yearning for the person they couldn’t have, and how they “still think about you every time I'm riding in my car.” The closing lines of the song are particularly poignant, as they describe how the singer uses driving as a way to distract themselves from their pain: “And every time I think about what might have been / I jump in my car and start riding again.”

Overall, the lyrics to Ridin’ in My Car are a powerful testament to the enduring pain of lost love and the lengths we go to distract ourselves from that pain. The song captures the bittersweet nostalgia of looking back on a summer romance that didn’t quite work out, and the lingering regret of what might have been.

Line by Line Meaning

Remember last summer when we had the chance
Recalling a past opportunity for romance that didn't work out.

To find each other, start making romance
The missed opportunity was to start a romantic relationship.

But it didn't come off because you found another
The chance at romance was missed as the person found another partner before anything could happen.

Without one hand of a clock, what good is the other?
The lyrics hear suggest that unless both parties acknowledge the opportunity, nothing will come of it.

And I can't find no true love, oh baby, it's so hard
The singer is struggling to find love and the missed opportunity weighs on her.

And I still think about you every time I'm riding in my car
The memory of the missed opportunity continues to affect the singer.

So I went to the place where everybody hangs out
The singer sought out the place where everyone congregates.

To see what everybody was talking about
The motivation for going out was to hear what people were saying.

And over in a corner all alone with you
The singer found the person in question in a corner, away from the crowd.

Was a boy from last summer singing songs to you
The person from last summer was singing to the other.

And he can't sing like I can sing, oh, it's so hard
The singer is comparing herself to the other guy, feeling that she is more skilled than he is.

When I'm home alone I can think of other things to do
The singer can distract herself when she's alone at home.

But when I'm rolling in forward motion I think about only you
When the singer is on the move, her thoughts are focused on the person in question.

It's been a year and a day since I talked to you
It's been over a year since the two last spoke.

I don't know how I made it, but I sure have been blue
The singer feels blue about not having talked to the person.

And every time I think about what might have been
The singer thinks about what could have been between her and the other person.

I jump in my car and start riding again
She tries to distract herself by going for a drive.

And I can't find no true love, oh baby, it's so hard
The singer still hasn't found love and the situation weighs on her.

And I still think about you every time I'm riding in my car
Even when she's driving, the memory of the missed opportunity still affects the singer.

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