Born to two neuroscientists, Ritter bought his first guitar from the local K-MART after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic Girl From The North Country. He started at Oberlin College with the intent to follow in his parents' scientist footsteps, but instead discovered songwriting, and the music of artists like Gillian Welch, Townes Van Zandt, and Leonard Cohen. He graduated and then moved east, favoring its close proximity to historic folk clubs such as "Club Passim" in Boston. On a shoestring budget he recorded his critically acclaimed breakthrough album Golden Age of Radio in 2002 at various tiny, one-room studios on the East Coast. He has continued to grow from there, further developing his sound on subsequent albums.
Josh has recorded several records and E.P.s. In chronological order, they are:
Josh Ritter (Self Titled) (2000)
Golden Age of Radio (2001)
Come and Find Me EP (2003)
Hello Starling (2003)
4 Songs Live E.P. (2005)
The Animal Years (2006)
Girl In The War E.P. (2006)
Good Man E.P. (2006)
In The Dark: Live At Vicar Street (2006)
The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter (2007)
Live at the Record Exchange EP (2008)
So Runs the World Away (2010)
To the Yet Unknowing World (2011)
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Live at The Iveagh Gardens (April 2011)
The Beast In Its Tracks (2013)
Acoustic Live, Vol.1 (2015)
Sermon on the Rocks (2015)
Drive Away
Josh Ritter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm pretty simple that way
Any fears I have left are just ghosts of ghosts
That you drove away
Don't drive away
We were all built to last, guaranteed for life
Not under fluorescent lights
With those tubes in your arms
In a hospital bed
Don't drive away
Please stay awake
Stay here
In Josh Ritter's song "Drive Away", the lyrics are touching and intimate, beckoning a person to stay and not "drive away". The song is expressive of the singer's susceptibility, inquiring his lover not to leave his side. He confesses to being simple and not one with complications. The lyrics "I don't have any questions that you cannot answer" suggest his absolute trust in his lover. He acknowledges the fear that once existed in his life, confirming they have been eliminated by his lover. He refers to them as "ghosts of ghosts." With these lyrics, he implies that any new issues will also be chased away by her.
The song's verse "We were all built to last, guaranteed for life" portrays the understanding that everything lasts forever, and though it is what everyone says, the experience in a hospital bed with tubes in your arms directly conflicts with that notion. The singer's partner serves as his remedy, his hope for life after the pain. His request to "stay awake" and "stay here" is his plea to remain unconquered by death.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't have any questions that you can not answer
I don't have any doubts or uncertainties that you cannot provide explanation or clarity for
I'm pretty simple that way
I'm straightforward and uncomplicated in my thinking and beliefs
Any fears I have left are just ghosts of ghosts
My remaining anxieties and worries are just remnants of past fears that have already been overcome
That you drove away
You helped me overcome those fears and laid them to rest
Don't drive away
I don't want you to leave or abandon me
We were all built to last, guaranteed for life
People are designed to last and survive throughout their lives
That's what everyone says
This notion is a commonly held belief among people
Not under fluorescent lights
However, this is not always the case, especially not in a sterile and bleak hospital environment
With those tubes in your arms
Where patients may find themselves tethered to medical devices and equipment
In a hospital bed
Unable to move freely or enjoy normal life activities due to sickness or injury
Please stay awake
I need your presence and attention
Stay here
Don't leave me alone
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TYSON RITTER, NICK WHEELER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind