Dave Dobbyn (born January 3, 1957) is a New Zealand award-winning musician,… Read Full Bio ↴Dave Dobbyn (born January 3, 1957) is a New Zealand award-winning musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. In his early career he was a member of rock group Th' Dudes and the main creative force in popsters DD Smash; since then has released the majority of his recordings as a solo act.

His first success came with a band, Th' Dudes, which he formed while still in school. Their hit song "Be Mine Tonight" won single of the year in 1979 in New Zealand, while singles "Walking in Light" and "Bliss" became popular anthems.

After Th' Dudes folded, Dobbyn formed pop group DD Smash. The band's first album Cool Bananas debuted in the New Zealand charts at number one. The band's hit singles included "Devil you Know", "Outlook for Thursday", and the violin-tinged "Whaling".

When DD Smash folded, Dobbyn began a successful solo career, by writing the soundtrack music for the animated feature film Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale in 1986. The film yielded two hit singles: "Oughta Be in Love" and the chart-topping "Slice of Heaven", recorded with the band Herbs. After the release of the film, Slice of Heaven became one of Dobbyn's best-known songs, frequently used in tourism advertisements aired on Australian television that encouraged people to visit New Zealand. As a result, many Australians jokingly referred to the song as the New Zealand National anthem.

At the 2001 New Zealand Music Awards Dobbyn won a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2005 and 2006 he won "Songwriter Of The Year" and "Best Male Solo Artist" respectively, both for his work on his 2005 album Available Light

Drive
Dave Dobbyn Lyrics

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I know it's late now I know I
Ought to go
Ride in your car now
But please don't drop me home
My head's so heavy
Could
This be all a dream
Promise me

Maybes and say things
You don't mean
Rain fall from concrete colored skies
No boy don't speak now
You just drive
Drive
Drive
Take me through make me feel alive
Alive
When I ride with you
Keep my heart turning on
Axles around you
Keep our love burning just
Like it used to do
Now just for us
They could
Play our favourite tune
Let's not discuss
All these
Things we can't undo
Let rain fall from concrete coloured skies
No boy don't speak now
You just drive
Drive
Drive
Speed me through
Make me feel alive
Alive
When I ride with you
Rain fall from concrete coloured skies

No boy don't speak now
You just drive

Overall Meaning

The song "Drive" by Dave Dobbyn is a dreamy, up-tempo ballad that explores the simple pleasure of being in someone's company and sharing a moment together. The lyrics convey a sense of excitement, anticipation, and yearning, as the singer rides in a car with someone special, feeling alive and youthful. The song opens with the line, "I know it's late now, I know I ought to go, ride in your car now, but please don't drop me home," indicating the singer's reluctance to leave the company of this person. The following line, "my head's so heavy, could this be all a dream," emphasizes the dream-like quality of the experience.

As the song progresses, the lyrics describe the sensation of riding in a car at night, with the rain falling from "concrete colored skies," and the singer urging the driver not to speak, but just to drive. The chorus repeats the phrase "drive, drive, take me through, make me feel alive," adding to the dream-like atmosphere of the song. The final verse describes the couple listening to their favorite tune, and the singer urging the driver not to discuss things they can't undo. The song ends with the line, "when I ride with you," emphasizing the importance of sharing experiences with someone special.

Overall, "Drive" is a romantic and nostalgic song, capturing the feeling of being young and in love, and the joy of spending time with someone who makes you feel alive.

Line by Line Meaning

I know it's late now I know I
I am aware that it is late and I should leave.

Ought to go
I should depart from this place.

Ride in your car now
Let's go for a ride in your car.

But please don't drop me home
Please don't take me home yet.

My head's so heavy
I feel very tired and confused.

Could This be all a dream
I wonder if this is just a dream.

Promise me Maybes and say things You don't mean
Please don't make empty promises or say things you don't really mean.

Rain fall from concrete colored skies
It is raining heavily.

No boy don't speak now You just drive
Please don't talk now, just focus on driving.

Drive
Keep driving the car.

Take me through make me feel alive Alive When I ride with you
Take me on a ride that makes me feel alive.