In 2001, she released her first solo album, Stag. That year, she toured solo with the Butchies as her band. Then in 2005, her second solo project, Prom was released. In December of 2006, Amy released Live From Knoxville, a live recording from a show at Blue Cats in October of 2005. In August 2008 she released her latest album Didn't It Feel Kinder, this is the first album she made with the help of a producer, Greg Griffith.
All three albums were released on Amy's independent record label, Daemon Records.
Fans of the Indigo Girls can expect a rawer, punkier, and rockier sound.
Driver Education
Amy Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With soft rock hair and blood shot eyes
He tastes like Marlboro cigarettes, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups,
A Pepsi in his hand, getting off the school bus
Films and drills and safety illustrations
The crushed cars of driver education
Who pledged allegiance to a life of bending the curriculum
She tastes like spring, there she goes again,
Drinking with the older guys, tripping by the lakeside
Films and drills and safety illustrations
The crushed cars of driver education
When you were sweet sixteen, I was already mean and
Feeling bad for giving it up to the man just to make the scene
Where were you, back when I had something to prove,
With the switchblade set and the church kids learning my moves?
I ran for miles through the suburbs of the seventies,
Pollen dust and Pixie sticks, kissing in the deep end
Of swimming pools before I knew what's in there
We come into this life waterlogged and tender
Films and drills and safety illustrations
The crushed cars of driver education
In this song, Amy Ray reflects on her past experiences with love and rebellion, and contrasts it with the safety lessons and drills taught in driver education classes. She recalls falling for guys who tried to commit suicide, describing them with their soft rock hair and bloodshot eyes, and the taste of Marlboro cigarettes, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and Pepsi on their lips. These guys were outsiders and rebels, who didn't conform to society's standards, just like Amy herself.
The song then shifts to a description of tattooed girls with a past they can't remember, who have chosen to lead a life that deviates from the norm. They taste like spring, full of life and potential, and enjoy drinking with older guys and tripping by the lakeside. Amy again contrasts this with the safety lessons taught in driver education, but there is a sense of nostalgia and wistfulness in her words. She wonders where these girls were when she was young, with her switchblade and rebellious attitude, and reflects on the carefree days of the seventies, filled with pollen dust, Pixie sticks, and kissing in swimming pools.
The chorus repeats the lines "Films and drills and safety illustrations, The crushed cars of driver education," emphasizing the contrast between the safety lessons taught in school and the recklessness of youth.
Line by Line Meaning
I fell for guys who tried to commit suicide,
I was attracted to men who were depressed and suicidal.
With soft rock hair and blood shot eyes
They had long hair like rock musicians and red, bloodshot eyes, likely from drug use.
He tastes like Marlboro cigarettes, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups,
He smelled like cigarettes and tasted like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which he might have eaten frequently.
A Pepsi in his hand, getting off the school bus
He often had a Pepsi drink with him, and got off the school bus regularly.
Films and drills and safety illustrations
The driver education course included watching instructional videos, practicing driving skills, and going over safety guidelines.
The crushed cars of driver education
In driver education, they showed us examples of wrecked cars to demonstrate the dangers of reckless driving.
Now its tattooed girls with a past they can't remember,
The people I'm attracted to has shifted from men who were suicidal to women who have a troubled past they don't recall.
Who pledged allegiance to a life of bending the curriculum
These women are dedicated to adhering to their own rules and lifestyle, regardless of what is expected of them in society or by educational standards.
She tastes like spring, there she goes again,
This woman has a fresh and light quality, and seems to come and go easily from different places.
Drinking with the older guys, tripping by the lakeside
She hangs out with older men and does drugs (likely psychedelics) by the lake.
When you were sweet sixteen, I was already mean and
When you were young and innocent, I was already tough and bitter.
Feeling bad for giving it up to the man just to make the scene
I regret sleeping with men just to fit in with their crowd or social scene.
Where were you, back when I had something to prove,
You weren't around when I was trying to prove my worth or identity to others.
With the switchblade set and the church kids learning my moves?
I carried a switchblade knife and taught other youth in my church how to use it for protection.
I ran for miles through the suburbs of the seventies,
I used to jog through suburbs during the 1970s (possibly for exercise or as a way to escape from reality).
Pollen dust and Pixie sticks, kissing in the deep end
In those suburban areas, there were pollen and sugar powder in the air, and I kissed someone in the pool's deep end.
Of swimming pools before I knew what's in there
I kissed someone in a pool before I learned about the dangers of germs and chemicals in pool water.
We come into this life waterlogged and tender
We are born into this world vulnerable and sensitive, as if soaked in water.
Films and drills and safety illustrations
The driver education course included watching instructional videos, practicing driving skills, and going over safety guidelines.
The crushed cars of driver education
In driver education, they showed us examples of wrecked cars to demonstrate the dangers of reckless driving.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMY ELIZABETH RAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind