As a 17 year old out of high school, Keaton started thinking about college. He decided on The Evergreen State College, located in Olympia, Washington. The area, which has become known as a fertile breeding ground for music and art, proved perfect to set in motion his initiation into the immense world of music. It was there that Keaton started writing songs. He dove in headfirst, taking on courses ranging from 20th century classical composition to Indonesian gamelan music to jazz and quite a lot in between. Keaton's years at Evergreen not only introduced him to diverse global music but also taught him to incorporate everything into his own sensibilities. Major record labels have accused Keaton of being too diverse to contain.
After an early graduation, it was back to Los Angeles, playing music with old friends like Tre Hardson (of The Pharcyde) and new ones like singer N'Dea Davenport (of the Brand New Heavies), Kim Hill (of the Black Eyed Peas), underground hip-hop legend Medusa and appearing on Jay Leno's TONIGHT SHOW with hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg.
Before Keaton was 21 years old he was asked to compose music for the motion picture Mercy Streets. Labels began to investigate and eventually he landed a deal with Maverick Records. Keaton released a five-song EP with Maverick entitled "Currently". The EP displays a taste of bluesy, rootsy, guitar-driven songs & ballads, with stylish arrangements that showcase his rich, often spooky melodies. Indeed, the disc's delicate, down-home title track is in rotation at radio stations around America. Recently reaching ..1 on the charts of Tucson, AZ's KWMT 92.9 The Mountain.
One of the first to play Keaton's music was influential LA public radio station KCRW, which afforded him the opportunity in early 2005 to play the Universal Amphitheatre supporting Coldplay. Keaton's music has also been featured on LA's ..1 mid-day radio show, KLSX 97.1, "Heidi, Frosty and Frank". Here is where leaks have started of some of the tracks on Keaton's album that were produced by well known producing team, The Matrix. The timing for Keaton's meeting (through a mutual friend) with the Matrix really worked for both. Keaton's songs were thought of as being too alternatively structured to be radio friendly, though many agreed there was something there. The Matrix, just off Avril Lavigne's COMPLICATED, were seeking something to ground them, and reveal the soul in their pop music. The team loved every second of working together, and ended up with an album that was completed just in time for the record label to conclude changes that made releasing such a "big album" impossible. Hence, a move to the beautiful freedom and diversity of CD Baby.
Keaton participated in the 2005 Sundance Film Festival as a part of BMI's annual showcase. Sharing the bill with Vanessa Carlton, Minnie Driver, Joe Firstman and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service). Keaton is no stranger to the world of film and television. It's kind of the family business. Keaton's little stepsister, Emma Roberts, costars with JoJo in the just completed AQUAMARINE. Emma has an album coming out, featuring songs from her television series UNFABULOUS. Keaton's sister, Morgan Simons, is a culinary artist who tries to feed actresses healthfully enough such that they will not need to name their babies after food!
Keaton's grandfather, Don Garrett, has been publicist to such world renowned sensations as everything from The Supremes to "The Flintstones". Another of Keaton's grandfathers, screenwriter David Rayfiel, wrote such loved films as "Three Days of the Condor" & "Round Midnight", to name a few. Keaton's grandmother, Lila Garrett (whom Keaton immortalized in the song "Joseph" on which Keaton took the opportunity to play all the instruments including drums, bass, piano, guitar and vocals) has credits and Emmy awards as writer/ producer/ director on pretty much every situation comedy from the 1960s to the 2000s. Keaton and his father, Jimmy Simons, had a chance recently to work together when Keaton appeared on Fox Televisions' MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, which Jimmy produces and sometimes directs. Keaton was cast by his episode's director, Bryan Cranston, who also plays "Hal" on the series. Keaton's mother, Eliza Roberts, has made a name for herself as a Hollywood Jane of all trades. From actress to casting director, manager to writer. In her early 20s she became producer of the pre-MTV phenomenon "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert". With baby Keaton in tow, Eliza's show hosted live performances from such acts as Chuck Berry, James Brown, The Brothers Johnson, Donna Summers, Abba, Natalie Cole, and featured early comedy by David Letterman, Andy Kaufman, Michael Keaton and almost Robin Williams - but no one could quite figure out what his act was.
Beyond MALCOLM, like many musicians today, Keaton has crossed over into the world of acting, having performed a heart-stopping rendition of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" on NBC's acclaimed "American Dreams". Keaton will also be seen starring in Henry Jaglom's upcoming feature film, "Hollywood Dreams" (Lots of "dreams" needed to sort through some of the harsh realities of our world these days, it would seem). Keaton's earliest work features his mother, Eliza (Garrett), three months pregnant with him, when she appeared as "Brunella, at the desk" in NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE.
Drive Away
Keaton Simons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you really love me
But baby I don't know why
Ridin' on a highway
In the daylight
While the moon's still in the sky
I say
this mad existence
Driving on a road that's going nowhere
When we know what's round the bend
Maybe in this car we have immunity
We both know that this ain't gonna' last
So before we just accept this as a casualty
Stay here while the last few moments pass
We turn on the engine
And turn off the world
We turn on each other
And don't say a word
Tomorrow it's over
But this is today
Yeah
Pull off the road
Turn on the radio
Do what we know
Then drive away
Your lips
To my lips
No words to get in the way
Kissin' you and getting no resistance
‘Cause there's nothing left to say
Anger
And heartache
The why and what went wrong
Lock the doors and roll up all the windows
Shut it out and get it on
Maybe in this car we have immunity
(We both know that)
We both know that this ain't gonna last
So before we just accept this as a casualty
Stay here while the last few moments pass
We turn on the engine
And turn off the world
We turn on each other
And don't say a word
Tomorrow it's over
But this is today
Yeah
Pull off the road
Turn on the radio
Do what we know
Then drive away
Once more for the ride again
If we could change the tide again
I'd do anything to try again
With you
We turn on the engine
And turn off the world
We turn on each other
And don't say a word
Tomorrow it's over
But this is today
Yeah
Pull off the road
Turn on the radio
Pull off the road
Turn on the radio
Tomorrow it's over
But this is today
Yeah
Turn off the road
Turn on the radio
Do what we know
Then drive away
Do what we know
Then drive away
Do what we know
Then drive away
In Keaton Simons's song "Drive Away," the lyrics capture the feeling of being in a relationship that is about to end. The singer questions the authenticity of his partner's love, unsure why she claims to love him as they drive along a highway. The lyrics suggest that the couple is aimlessly driving with no destination in mind, but they know that their relationship is coming to an end. The pair seeks refuge from the world by indulging in each other, hoping that there is some form of immunity to the pain that they are mutually about to undergo.
The repetitive verses represent how the couple is caught in a cycle of contempt, anger, and heartaches, but they keep their emotions to themselves. The chorus "We turn on the engine And turn off the world; We turn on each other And don't say a word" illustrates that they are not ready to confront the inevitable, but instead, they are enjoying each other's company and staying in the moment. The lyrics "Pull off the road; Turn on the radio; Do what we know, then drive away" sum up the temporary escape from reality that the couple is indulging in.
In conclusion, Keaton Simons has created a song that is both melancholic and alluring; the lyrics paint a vivid picture of two people indulging in each other's company despite the inevitable ending. The song's melody enhances the emotional depth of the lyrics, and the vocals match the powerful imagery that emerges in the listener's mind.
Line by Line Meaning
You say you really love me
You claim to love me
But baby I don't know why
Yet, I am uncertain about the validity of your statement
Ridin' on a highway In the daylight While the moon's still in the sky
We are driving on a road in broad daylight, with the moon still visible
I say this mad existence Baby, it has to end
I feel that this crazy lifestyle must come to an end
Driving on a road that's going nowhere When we know what's round the bend
We continue driving on a path that leads to nowhere, even though we know what lies ahead
Maybe in this car we have immunity We both know that this ain't gonna' last So before we just accept this as a casualty Stay here while the last few moments pass
Perhaps we think we are immune in this car, but we both know that our relationship cannot withstand the test of time. Therefore, we should cherish these final moments together.
We turn on the engine And turn off the world We turn on each other And don't say a word Tomorrow it's over But this is today Yeah Pull off the road Turn on the radio Do what we know Then drive away
We start the engine and ignore everything else around us, including each other. We don't speak, knowing that tomorrow our time together will come to an end. So, we pull over, turn on the radio and do what we know how to do, which is to continue driving away.
Your lips To my lips No words to get in the way Kissin' you and getting no resistance ‘Cause there's nothing left to say
Our lips touch without any need for words, as we both know there is nothing left to say. We kiss, with no resistance.
Anger And heartache The why and what went wrong Lock the doors and roll up all the windows Shut it out and get it on
We feel anger and heartache, wondering what went wrong. To shut it all out, we lock the doors and roll up the windows, then just seek physical pleasure.
Once more for the ride again If we could change the tide again I'd do anything to try again With you
If only we could repeat the experience, and possibly turn back the clock, then I would attempt to do anything to make things right again between us.
Contributed by Adam F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ChiefWP
Love this song so much! Keaton's talents are incredible. :)
@gordvass
Great song!
@Movielover32358
Perfect for a car commercial today ~ Anti Device Use while driving cause Texting=The New Drunk Driving ~ "We turn on the engine And turn off the world"