Eskimo Joe is alt-rock band from Fremantle, Western Australia comprising Ka… Read Full Bio ↴Eskimo Joe is alt-rock band from Fremantle, Western Australia comprising Kavyen Temperley (bass/vocals), Joel Quartermain (guitar/drums) and Stuart MacLeod (guitar)
The group initally formed to compete in the National Campus Band Competition in 1997. Temperley and Quartermain were already in a band at the time, Freud's Pillow, but had met with little success and asked Temperley's childhood friend MacLeod to form a new band, which became Eskimo Joe. The band ended up winning the competition prize: a slot at the 1997 Livid Festival and a session in a studio to record their first EP, Sweater. The title track became so successful on national broadcaster Triple J, it gained much airplay and featured in the Hottest 100 of 1998. A second EP Eskimo Joe followed up in 1999.

Later in 1999, Eskimo Joe was signed on to Modular and in 2001, their debut album Girl, which went gold. After splitting with Modular, they signed a new contract with Mushroom in 2002, releasing sophomore album A Song is a City in 2004. The album went double-platinum and earned the group Best Artist the following year.

Settling down for six weeks over Christmas in 2005, the noticeably darker album Black Fingernails Red Wine, was recorded and released the following June, debuting at number one on the ARIA charts and later going platinum. The band (jokingly) described the album as their "stadium rock" record and headed out on extensive touring around the country, including a stint at Live Earth in Sydney.

The band eventually went on to tour the globe, with trips around the US and Europe, before recording their fourth album, Inshalla, in Byron Bay. The album was released in May 2009 and topped the charts at number one in the ARIA album charts. It explores a very different sound for Eskimo Joe, with lead singer Temperley saying the band were a stage where they wanted to do something different musically and also in their personal lives.

Driver
Eskimo Joe Lyrics

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Hold me tight, don't let me go,
oh I'm the one who takes you home tonight

Whisperin' Whiskey and Gin
I'm the one who takes you home tonight

oh Yeah, yeah, yeah,
oh Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Talk to me quietly
I'm the one who takes you home tonight

If you can, be my woman,
oh I'm the one who takes you home tonight

Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
That's right

Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh

Overall Meaning

The song "Driver" by Eskimo Joe is a fascinating track with a lot of cryptic lyrics that leave a lot of room for interpretation. At its core, it seems to be an impassioned plea from a lover to not be let go, to not be left alone. The refrain "Hold me tight, don't let me go" is repeated twice in the opening verses, emphasizing the singer's desperation to be with their lover. The refrain "I'm the one who takes you home tonight" serves as a promise to the lover that the singer will be there for them, that they are the only one who can give them what they need.

The repeated references to whiskey and gin suggest that the singer and their lover are drinking heavily, and the line "Whisperin' Whiskey and Gin" is particularly notable as it seems to connote a sense of intimacy, as if the couple is sharing a secret, romantic moment together. The lines "Talk to me quietly, I'm the one who takes you home tonight" further suggest a sense of intimacy, as if the singer wants their lover to whisper sweet nothings to them before they leave together.

Overall, "Driver" is a beautiful and haunting song that taps into deep emotions of love and longing. Its lyrics are mysterious and full of intrigue, leaving the listener to fill in the blanks and imagine what might be happening between the two lovers.

Line by Line Meaning

Hold me tight, don't let me go,
Please hold me tight and don't let me go away from you

oh I'm the one who takes you home tonight
I will be the one who will accompany you and take you home tonight

Whisperin' Whiskey and Gin
Softly whispering about whiskey and gin

I'm the one who takes you home tonight
I will be one who takes you home tonight

oh Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Expressing affirmation and excitement yeah yeah yeah

Talk to me quietly
Speak to me affectionately and in a hushed voice

I'm the one who takes you home tonight
I'll be the one who escorts you and takes you home tonight

If you can, be my woman,
If possible, be my partner

oh I'm the one who takes you home tonight
I'll be the one who escorts you and takes you home tonight

Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
Expressing affirmation and excitement yeah yeah yeah oh

That's right
That is correct