Sober Driver
Dengue Fever Lyrics
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I want to see you tonight
I know it's late
I don't want to fight
I'm at a party
Where am I? (Echo Park)
In Echo Park
The band has stopped playing
The keg is all dry
[Chorus]
You call me up because I'm sober and you wanted me to drive
I'm getting tired of being treated as just a free ride
I finally figured out that your just a thorn in my side
That's withered dull and dry
Baby
How could you say
Such mean, and cruel things to me?
My friends have all gone
I don't know how I got here
It's too far to walk
I'm in four inch heals
The song "Sober Driver" by Dengue Fever tells a story of a person at a party who receives a call from someone they know, asking them to come pick them up since they are too drunk to drive. The singer in the song agrees to help out, but mentions that they are tired of being taken advantage of as just a "free ride." The song strongly suggests that this is not the first time this has happened and that the singer has had enough. The scene is set in Echo Park, and though the band has stopped playing and the keg is dry, the party doesn't appear to be winding down anytime soon. The lyrics seem to want to communicate a sense of exasperation with the situation, but at the same time, there is an undercurrent of caring for the person who needs a ride home.
The song employs a simple, upbeat melody that feels somewhat paradoxical when paired with the sense of frustration and discontent conveyed by the lyrics. With lines that express displeasure like "I'm getting tired of being treated as just a free ride" and "I finally figured out that you're just a thorn in my side," the song manages to tap into the universal feeling of being taken advantage of when trying to help someone out. It's clear that the singer is reflecting on their relationship with the person who needs a ride when they say, "Baby, how could you say such mean and cruel things to me?" They want to help but don't want to be used, and the two feelings are at odds with each other throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby
Addressing the lover
I want to see you tonight
Expressing the desire to meet
I know it's late
Acknowledging the late hour
I don't want to fight
Declaring the intention to avoid arguments
I'm at a party
Stating the current location
Where am I? (Echo Park)
Pondering the whereabouts
In Echo Park
Answering the location
The band has stopped playing
Noticing the end of music
The keg is all dry
Observing the empty keg
[Chorus]
Beginning of chorus
You call me up because I'm sober and you wanted me to drive
Highlighting being called as a designated driver
I'm getting tired of being treated as just a free ride
Expressing disappointment of not being valued
I finally figured out that you're just a thorn in my side
Realizing the negative impact of the lover's behavior
That's withered dull and dry
Describing the lover's frivolous nature
Baby
Addressing the lover
How could you say
Expressing hurt
Such mean, and cruel things to me?
Questioning the hurtful words
My friends have all gone
Realizing that the friends have left
I don't know how I got here
Feeling disoriented
It's too far to walk
Acknowledging the distance
I'm in four inch heels
Highlighting the physical discomfort
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL SMITH, ZACHARY HOLTZMAN, SENON G WILLIAMS, DAVID RALICKE, ETHAN HOLTZMAN, NIMOL HOLTZMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yuri Ribeiro Sucupira
on Hold My Hips
These lyrics are a copy-paste of the lyrics transcription I published on Musixmatch (https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Dengue-Fever/Hold-My-Hips) on May 21, 2017. I did such transcription precisely because such lyrics aren't available anywhere on the Internet. Would've been polite if it was mentioned here that the lyrics available here were copied from Musixmatch.com