John K. Samson is a singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He used to p… Read Full Bio ↴John K. Samson is a singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He used to play the bass in the band Propagandhi, and is now the singer & guitarist in The Weakerthans. In 1993 he released a 15 track cassette called Slips and Tangles on Fresh Bread Records. Some of those songs were also on a split CD with the band Painted Thin. In addition to The Weakerthans he has a project with his wife, Christine Fellows, called The Subscription, and he pronounces it like "sore-ee."

Cruise Night
John K. Samson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know it's annoying borrowing your brother's car
But mine won't start and it's Sunday.
Soon a line of headlights peering down the avenue
Could find you there in a lawn chair
Next to our old El Camino with the racing stripes
On cruise night.
Dude, just make it happen.

I can't take another week of feeling lame
With the same old tin can on my ten speed
Circling the Dairy Queen while jacked up rides idle at me.
I wanna rock the RPM between the reds and greens
On cruise night

Drive a while in one direction and we'll turn around
On cruise night.

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of John K. Samson's "Cruise Night" resonate with anyone who has had to rely on someone else's vehicle. The singer acknowledges the annoyance of borrowing his brother's car but also the necessity of doing so - his own car won't start, and it's Sunday. Despite the inconvenience, there is a sense of camaraderie in the cruising culture that is celebrated in the song. The line of headlights peering down the avenue represents a shared experience, a coming together of people to showcase their cars and their love for driving.

The mention of the El Camino with racing stripes and cruise night further emphasize this love of cars and cruising. Samson sings of wanting to "rock the RPM between the reds and greens" - a reference to revving the engine between traffic lights. The desire to participate in cruise night is strong, as the singer has been feeling "lame" riding his ten-speed bicycle while surrounded by jacked-up cars at the Dairy Queen.

Overall, "Cruise Night" is a celebration of car culture and the joy of being behind the wheel. The nostalgia and sense of community that comes with cruising is palpable throughout the song.

Line by Line Meaning

I know it's annoying borrowing your brother's car
I acknowledge that it's frustrating to keep using your brother's car

But mine won't start and it's Sunday.
However, my car won't start and it's a Sunday

Soon a line of headlights peering down the avenue
I predict that soon we'll see a queue of cars, headlights shining bright, lining up the avenue

Could find you there in a lawn chair
You could be found sitting on a lawn chair

Next to our old El Camino with the racing stripes
You would be sitting next to our old El Camino which has racing stripes

On cruise night.
This will happen on a cruise night.

Dude, just make it happen.
So, let's just make it happen!

I can't take another week of feeling lame
I'm really fed up with feeling lame as I've been doing so for weeks now

With the same old tin can on my ten speed
I'm tired of riding my old, rusty bicycle to places

Circling the Dairy Queen while jacked up rides idle at me.
I feel awkward circling around at the Dairy Queen while all these cool cars sit idle and watch me

I wanna rock the RPM between the reds and greens
I want to rev the RPM gauge up and down, hitting the red zone and stalling in the green zone

On cruise night
I want to do this on a cruise night

Drive a while in one direction and we'll turn around
Let's drive in one direction for a while and then turn around

On cruise night.
This will happen on a cruise night

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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