At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, for… Read Full Bio ↴At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band most recently consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (drums) and Keeley Davis (guitar, vocals). After several early line-up changes, the band solidified into a five-piece, consisting of Bixler-Zavala, Rodríguez-López, Jim Ward, Hinojos and Hajjar. At the Drive-In released three studio albums and five EPs before breaking up in 2001. Their third and final album before their split, 2000's Relationship of Command, received a number of accolades and is cited as a landmark recording. Following the breakup, Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López formed the Mars Volta while Ward, Hinojos, and Hajjar formed Sparta. At the Drive-In reunited in January 2012 and played the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as well as the 2012 Lollapalooza Festival. In 2016, the band reunited for a second time, with guitarist and occasional lead vocalist Jim Ward no longer participating. He was replaced by Sparta's Keeley Davis. The band released their fourth studio album, in•ter a•li•a, in 2017. At the Drive In headlined the Neon Desert Music Festival in 2018 in El Paso, Texas. The band announced an indefinite hiatus in November 2018.

Communication Drive-in
At the Drive-In Lyrics

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You keep telling me
This voltage hurts just a little
In the thickness of the van
You drop anchor if and when
Concealing all the thoughts
We hid and laughed forever

Repelling essence swelling something to blame

Bleeding profusely outside looking tame
The nerve of your hometown...
I'm drinking slovenly

Leave me alone, leave me alone
I am not your brother
I see five holes in your flag

Collect calling, the fuse is crawling
To the next hometown
Collect calling, the fuse is crawling
Can you feel the bite of my nails?
Can you feel it?

Repelling essence swelling something to blame
Enhanced sweet singing game...

I'm swimming down
Sink! swim! drown together

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to At the Drive-In's song "Communication Drive-in" are full of cryptic and obscure references, making it a difficult song to interpret. However, by looking closely at the lines, one can decipher the song's message. The opening lines, "You keep telling me/This voltage hurts just a little/In the thickness of the van/You drop anchor if and when" appear to be about an uncomfortable physical sensation, which is only a minor annoyance to the singer. The next lines, "Concealing all the thoughts/We hid and laughed forever" suggest that the song is about secrets and hidden emotions, which are being revealed gradually.

The chorus, "Leave me alone, leave me alone/I am not your brother/I see five holes in your flag" can be interpreted as a call for independence and a rejection of societal expectations. The reference to "five holes in your flag" seems to suggest that the singer sees the flaws in the dominant culture, which they reject. The repeated lines of "Collect calling, the fuse is crawling/To the next hometown/Can you feel the bite of my nails?" suggest a sense of restlessness and constant motion, with the singer always moving on to the next adventure.

The song's verses are repeated multiple times throughout the song, but the musical composition changes slightly each time. The band plays with dynamics, adding layers of feedback and distortion, and the vocals shift between yelping and melodic singing. Overall, "Communication Drive-in" is a complex and layered song that invites interpretation and encourages the listener to look beneath the surface.

Line by Line Meaning

You keep telling me
The singer is being repeatedly told something

This voltage hurts just a little
The pain the singer is experiencing is mild

In the thickness of the van
The singer is in a confined space

You drop anchor if and when
The person the artist is with insists on going at their own pace

Concealing all the thoughts
The artist is hiding their true feelings

We hid and laughed forever
The singer and their companion(s) experienced joy in secret

Repelling essence swelling something to blame
Some negative force is causing tension and blame between the singer and their companion(s)

Bleeding profusely outside looking tame
The artist is hiding their external wounds while internally suffering greatly

The nerve of your hometown...
The artist has feelings of anger towards their companion(s) origin

I'm drinking slovenly
The artist is consuming alcohol for escapist purposes

Leave me alone, leave me alone
The singer desires to be left in isolation

I am not your brother
The artist does not share the same bond with their companion(s)

I see five holes in your flag
The singer perceives flaws or weaknesses in their companion(s) beliefs or allegiances

Collect calling, the fuse is crawling
The singer is making a long-distance phone call and the connection is slow

To the next hometown
The singer is traveling to a different place

Can you feel the bite of my nails?
The artist is expressing anger or frustration through body language

Repelling essence swelling something to blame
The negativity between the artist and their companion(s) persists

Enhanced sweet singing game...
The singer is being sarcastic and critical of their companion(s) behavior

I'm swimming down
The singer is descending into a state of despair

Sink! swim! drown together
The artist and their companion(s) will share in their collective hardship

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ADAM AMPERAN, CEDRIC BIXLER, OMAR RODRIGUEZ, RYAN SAWYER, JIM WARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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