Garnet lives on a farm in rural Ontario, where his wife raises champion thoroughbreds.
Night Drive
Garnet Rogers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How dark the night
How long have I been sleeping?
Sleep overtook me on my westward flight
Held me in its keeping
I had a dream; it seemed so real
Its passing left me shaking
I saw you here behind the wheel
Hurtling westward through the prairie night
Under the spell of motion
Your eyes were clear and bright in the dashboard light
Dreaming of the western ocean
Dusty towns left far behind
Mountains drawing ever nearer
Your face was then as it was tonight
Ever young
Ever clearer
I know this road
And its every curve
Where the hills commence their climbing
We rested here
If my memory serves
The northern lights were shining
You lit a smoke
We shared some wine
We watched the sky in wonder
Your laughter echoes after all this time
In that high and wild blue yonder
I don't know why I write these lines
It's not like I could send you the letter
It's that I love your more after all this time
It's that I wish I'd shown you better
Years have slipped
Beneath my wheels
Dwindling in my rear view mirror
As time has passed
Your life has seemed less real
But these night drives bring you nearer
So tonight I'll wish upon these stars
As they rise upward to guide me
That I'll see you here just as you are
Now, as then, beside me
Scares me how the years have flown
Like the leaves drift in September
They've lost sight of you as your legacy's grown
But this road and I
We remember
Garnet Rogers’s “Night Drive” is a poignant reflection on the passage of time and the enduring power of memory. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer contemplating the vast expanse of the night sky and wondering how long they have been asleep. The dream that follows feels incredibly vivid and real, with the singer seeing someone they love behind the wheel of their car, driving down a familiar road. This sets up the central metaphor of the song: the night drive as a symbol of the journey of life itself.
As the dream continues, the singer and their loved one hurtle westward through the prairie night, their eyes bright and clear in the dashboard light. The passing scenery of “dusty towns” and “mountains drawing ever nearer” serves as a backdrop for a moment of deep connection between the two characters. The memory of this moment is powerful enough to bring tears to the singer’s eyes even years later.
The final verse brings the song back around to the present moment, with the singer reflecting on how much time has passed since that dream. They acknowledge that their loved one’s legacy has grown and evolved over the years, but they still feel a sense of loss for not having shown them better how much they were loved. The final lines of the song are hopeful and wistful all at once, the singer wishing upon the stars that they might see their loved one “just as you are / Now, as then, beside me.”
* “Night Drive” was released on Garnet Rogers’s 2002 album “Firefly.”
* Rogers is a Canadian folk singer and songwriter who has been active since the 1970s.
* The song has been described as “a classic reflection on the passage of time and the bittersweet memories that it brings.”
* Fans have compared Rogers’s writing style to that of his brother Stan Rogers, who was also a well-known Canadian folk musician.
* The album “Firefly” was produced by legendary Canadian songwriter and producer Bruce Cockburn.
* In addition to his solo work, Rogers has collaborated with a number of well-known artists over the years, including his brother and Cockburn.
* The song contains a number of vivid images, like the northern lights shining in the sky and the leaves drifting in September.
* The use of the night drive as a metaphor for the journey of life is a common theme in literature and music.
* Rogers’s voice has been compared to those of other celebrated folk singers like Gordon Lightfoot and Paul Simon.
* Though not explicitly political, Rogers’s music often touches on themes of social justice and environmentalism.
Chords:
Verse 1: G, D, Am, C
Chorus: G, D, Am, D
Verse 2: G, D, Am, C
Chorus: G, D, Am, D
Verse 3: G, D, Am, C
Chorus: G, D, Am, D
Bridge: C, G
Chorus: G, D, Am, D.
Line by Line Meaning
How bright the stars
The stars shining brightly in the dark night sky are capturing my attention.
How dark the night
The dark night hides everything and creates a sense of mysteriousness.
How long have I been sleeping?
I went into a deep sleep and lost track of time while flying westward to reach my destination.
Sleep overtook me on my westward flight
I fell into a deep sleep while travelling towards the west in the airplane.
Held me in its keeping
The sleep held me tight as I was completely unconscious in its embrace.
I had a dream; it seemed so real
In my sleep, I had a dream that felt very realistic to me.
Its passing left me shaking
After I woke up, the dream's vividness made me shiver and shake for a while.
I saw you here behind the wheel
In my dream, I saw you driving on the same road I am driving on right now.
On this very road I'm taking
I am currently driving on the same route where I saw you in my dream.
Hurtling westward through the prairie night
I am driving fast towards the west through a dark prairie night.
Under the spell of motion
The motion of the car has an enchanting effect on me and makes me feel alive.
Your eyes were clear and bright in the dashboard light
The dashboard light illuminated your bright and clear eyes when you were driving.
Dreaming of the western ocean
You were lost in your thoughts, probably daydreaming about the vast and beautiful western ocean.
Dusty towns left far behind
We have left behind the small and dusty towns that we passed through.
Mountains drawing ever nearer
The looming mountains are drawing closer and closer and becoming more visible.
Your face was then as it was tonight
Your face looked the same then, on the same road, as it does tonight, after all these years.
Ever young
You looked young, full of vitality and energy, just like the first time I ever met you.
Ever clearer
Memories of you have become clearer and more vivid over time.
I know this road
I am familiar with this road that we are driving on right now.
And its every curve
I know every twist and turn on this road like the back of my hand.
Where the hills commence their climbing
This is where the hilly terrain begins and the road begins to ascend.
We rested here
We took a break and rested at this spot before.
If my memory serves
As far as I remember, we took a break here earlier as well.
The northern lights were shining
I remember seeing the beautiful aurora borealis while we were resting here.
You lit a smoke
I recall you lighting a cigarette and smoking here.
We shared some wine
We drank wine and shared stories and laughs sitting here.
We watched the sky in wonder
We both stared up at the sky with a sense of awe and wonderment.
Your laughter echoes after all this time
I remember your hearty laughter and it still echoes in my mind after all these years.
In that high and wild blue yonder
The memory of your laughter is almost as if it's coming from the vast blue sky above us.
I don't know why I write these lines
I am not sure of the reason why I am writing these words down on paper.
It's not like I could send you the letter
I know that I cannot send you this letter because of reasons that I am aware of.
It's that I love your more after all this time
The passing years have only increased my love and affection for you.
It's that I wish I'd shown you better
I regret not having shown you enough love and care when you were around.
Years have slipped
Many years have gone by unnoticed.
Beneath my wheels
These years have passed by while I was driving on this road.
Dwindling in my rear view mirror
The memories of those years are gradually fading away like objects in the rear-view mirror.
As time has passed
As each year has gone by.
Your life has seemed less real
The memory of your life and existence seems to have become less tangible over time.
But these night drives bring you nearer
Driving on these roads at night makes it feel as if you are closer and more present with me.
So tonight I'll wish upon these stars
Tonight I plan on making a wish on the bright stars in the sky.
As they rise upward to guide me
I am hopeful that these stars will lead me to where I hope to find you.
That I'll see you here just as you are
My wish is to see you here, right by my side, just as you are.
Now, as then, beside me
I wish to have you here with me like you were in my memories, as if time has not passed at all.
Scares me how the years have flown
I am afraid of how quickly the years have gone by.
Like the leaves drift in September
Years have gone by like the leaves that fall off the trees on a windy September afternoon.
They've lost sight of you as your legacy's grown
As time has passed, the memory of you has started to fade while your legacy has continued to thrive.
But this road and I
Me and this road keep your memory alive by revisiting the places where we made memories together.
We remember
Me and this road remember all the memories we have made with you and how valuable they are to us.
Contributed by Sadie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@boclown100
Lost my precious,brilliant loving older Brother in a plane crash 25 years ago..I hear this masterpiece of brotherly love by Garnet and I choke up and miss him so very much even after all these years.Simply a beautiful song from a fine man to his legendary,gifted, dearly missed Brother.
@ref6122
I dont think Ive ever heard a song that captures an emotion better than this one.What can I say say ?Haunting,evocative,deeply personal,ineffable !
@g-girl9867
Cried both times I heard Garnet perform this - 20 years ago! That guitar vibrato...like a bell.
@dw9780
Fantastic haunting tribute unforgettable
@macpduff2119
This may very well be my favorite song of all time. Garnet has that nuanced Canadian voice that the young Ian Tyson had.
@TamaraTemple
agreed. this has long been my fave song by garnet. i first heard it live back about a decade or so ago, maybe longer, when a friend took me to one of his coffeehouse concerts in santa cruz. i was in tears by the end.
@Caper1Forever
deep and rich, like dark chocolate
@Bitterrootbackroads
I only caught on to Stan long after he was gone, and Garnet even later once YouTube came along. Decades earlier growing up in the US, but with mostly radio / B&W Canadian TV out of Winnipeg, I put up with what Mom & Dad liked. Don Messers Jubilee followed by Ian & Sylvia. Absorbed a lot of Canada from both, but Ian especially. When my friends and I started buying records it was Led Zeppelin for them, Ian & Sylvias greatest hits for me, and I still have it.
@lbshore
It's an absolutely amazing song.
@jasonantigua6825
Love your channel