In 1975, Rabbitt signed on with Elektra Records, who had recently created a country music division. His early pieces were strongly C&W, such as "Two Dollars in the Jukebox." Later, his music began to be influenced by R&B and pop. He scored some of his biggest hits with tunes such as "Drinkin' My Baby Off My Mind" (1976), "You Don't Love Me Anymore" (1978), "I Love a Rainy Night" (1980), "Drivin' My Life Away" (1980), "Step by Step" (1981), and a duet with Crystal Gayle, "You and I" (1982) which broke over into the adult contemporary charts. He was also well-known for writing and recording the theme song for the 1978 Clint Eastwood movie "Every Which Way But Loose."
During the late 1980s, Rabbitt was one of many pop-influenced country stars who lost ground on the charts to more traditional-sounding artists. He recorded very little during the 1990s, in part because of the illness and subsequent death of his young son. After his son died, Rabbitt became active in raising money for organizations that aid sick children. Rabbitt himself died of lung cancer at the age of 56.
During his career, Rabbitt scored 26 #1 hits on the country charts, and had 8 Top 40 pop hits. He was named the Top New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 1977, and he won an American Music Award for Best Pop Male Vocalist in 1981.
Eddie Rabbitt is interred in Calvary Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.
Drivin' My Life Away
Eddie Rabbitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steep grade up ahead, slow me down, makin' no time,
But I got to keep rollin'
Those windshield wipers slappin' out a tempo,
Keepin' perfect rhythm with the song on the radio,
But I got to keep rollin'
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way for me
Well the truck stop cutie comin' on to me,
Tried to talk me into a ride
Said I wouldn't be sorry
But she was just a baby
Hey, waitress, pour me another cup of coffee,
Pop it down, jack me up, shoot me out, flyin' down the highway,
Lookin' for the mornin'
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way for me
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a sunny day
Well the midnight headlights blind you on a rainy night
Steep grade up ahead, slow me down, makin' no time,
But I got to keep rollin'
Those windshield wipers slappin' out a tempo,
Keepin' perfect rhythm with the song on the radio,
But I got to keep rollin'
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way for me
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a sunny day
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way for me
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a sunny day, yeah
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way for me
The song “Drivin’ My Life Away” by Eddie Rabbit is about a man who is driving through a storm late at night, hoping to find a better life for himself. He is faced with a steep grade ahead of him and is having a difficult time making it up the hill. However, he is focused on reaching his destination and will not let anything stop him. The lyrics describe the sound of the windshield wipers keeping time with the song on the radio as he drives, emphasizing his determination to keep going.
Throughout the song, the singer encounters different characters on his journey, such as a truck stop waitress, who tries to convince him to go with her, and a "cutie" who tries to talk him into a ride. However, he stays focused on his goal and continues to drive on, ignoring distractions and obstacles.
The song captures the feeling of wanting to escape one’s current circumstances and find a better life. The singer is willing to work hard, take risks and endure challenges to reach his goal. The upbeat tempo and catchy tune match the determination and hopefulness of the lyrics, making it a classic country hit.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the midnight headlights blind you on a rainy night
Despite being blinded by headlights during rainy nights, I must continue driving.
Steep grade up ahead, slow me down, makin' no time,
There's a steep hill coming up that's making me slow down and lose time.
But I got to keep rollin'
Even though there are obstacles in my way, I have to keep driving.
Those windshield wipers slappin' out a tempo,
The windshield wipers are making a rhythmic sound as they move back and forth.
Keepin' perfect rhythm with the song on the radio,
The rhythm of the windshield wipers is matching perfectly with the song playing on the radio.
But I got to keep rollin'
Despite being distracted by the windshield wipers and radio, I have to keep driving.
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way for me
I'm driving my life away while searching for a better path for myself.
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a sunny day
I'm searching for a brighter future as I continue on this journey of life.
Well the truck stop cutie comin' on to me,
A woman at the truck stop is showing interest in me.
Tried to talk me into a ride
She tried to convince me to ride with her.
Said I wouldn't be sorry
She promised that I wouldn't regret it.
But she was just a baby
I realized that she was too young and inexperienced for me.
Hey, waitress, pour me another cup of coffee,
I'm asking the waitress to pour me more coffee to keep me awake.
Pop it down, jack me up, shoot me out, flyin' down the highway,
After drinking coffee, I'm feeling energized and driving fast down the highway.
Lookin' for the mornin'
I'm trying to reach my destination by the morning.
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way for me
I'm on a journey to find a better life for myself.
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a sunny day
I'm still searching for a brighter future and a better day.
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a better way for me
My search for a better life continues as I keep driving.
Ooh, I'm drivin' my life away, lookin' for a sunny day, yeah
I'm hopeful that I'll find a brighter future as I continue on this journey.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Malloy, Eddie Rabbitt, Even Stevens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph Amari
on Gotta Have You
These are the correct lyrics for Gotta Have You Eddie Rabbitt
Standing at the window
Waiting for the light
Staring down the barrel
Of a rainy night
Mister Walker, help me kill the pain
'Cause red is his color
And John is his name
Help me kill the pain
I gotta have you
Nothing's ever gonna be right
If I don't have you
Another string of these lonely nights
Ain't never gonna do
When I let you get away from me
I was a fool in the first degree
And I gotta have you
I used to listen to your heartbeat every night
It was such a good love, and it felt so right
And I still don't know what made me stray
But I took you for granted, and I gave you away
I just gave you away
I gotta have you
Nothing's ever gonna be right
If I don't have you
Another string of these lonely nights
Ain't never gonna do
When I let you get away from me
I was a fool in the first degree
And I gotta have you, you
I feel like I'm living on borrowed time
I've got a damn good reason for walking the line
I keep praying for the ringing of the telephone
I'm gonna hope these tears will bring you home
Won't you please come home, yeah
'Cause I gotta have you
Nothing's ever gonna be right
If I don't have you
Another string of these lonely nights
Ain't never gonna do
When I let you get away from me
I was a fool in the first degree
And I gotta have you
Nothing's ever gonna be right
If I don't have you
Another string of these lonely nights
Ain't never gonna do
When I let you get away from me
I was a fool in the first degree
And I gotta have you
Nothing's ever gonna be right
If I don't have you
Another string of these lonely nights
Ain't never gonna do