Drive the Night
Kristin Kontrol Lyrics

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On a drive up the California coast
My color drained I'm living as a ghost
Took the map into my shaking hands
And slowly Xed out all our plans

Tell me when you last saw me crack a smile
Tell me when your heart became a place of exile
A place of exile

(No I cannot give what I don't have, it's impossible)
So we grasp at "some kind of paradise lies just ahead"
If we drive through the night we just might hit it
I just wanna drive straight through the night with you
Yeah take me home
Tell me when you last saw me crack a smile
Tell me when your heart became a place of exile
A place of exile
(No I cannot give what I don't have, it's impossible)
So we grasp at "some kind of paradise lies just ahead"
If we drive through the night we just might hit it

I just wanna drive straight through the night with you
Yeah take me home

Overall Meaning

The song "Drive the Night" by Kristin Kontrol is a melancholic track that expresses a sense of desperation and hopelessness in a failing relationship. The lyrics describe a drive up the California coast, which is a metaphor for the relationship that is slowly falling apart. The singer is feeling drained and essentially invisible as they are living like a ghost, as if something vital has been taken away from them. As they take the map into their shaking hands and X out all their plans, they realize that their relationship is not going anywhere, and they need to let it go.

The chorus of the song is incredibly poignant, with the singer asking the other person when they saw them smile, and when their heart became a place of exile. This is a cry for help and a plea for the other person to recognize the pain they are feeling. But the singer knows that they cannot give what they do not have, and it is impossible to continue the way they are. They both grasp at the idea that some kind of paradise lies ahead of them, and they just need to keep driving through the night to get there. However, this paradise may only be a figment of their imagination. The song ends with the singer longing for the other person to take them home, to a place where they feel loved and safe.

Overall, "Drive the Night" is a powerful song that speaks to the complexities of relationships and how they can unravel even when there is a desire to make things work. It is a song that will resonate with those who have experienced heartache and longing.

Line by Line Meaning

On a drive up the California coast
I am driving along the California coast.

My color drained I'm living as a ghost
I feel pale and ghostly as I try to live my life.

Took the map into my shaking hands
I hold the map in my trembling hands.

And slowly Xed out all our plans
I cancelled all of our plans by drawing an X over them.

Tell me when you last saw me crack a smile
Can you remember the last time that I smiled genuinely?

Tell me when your heart became a place of exile
When did your heart turn into a place where I am no longer welcome?

A place of exile
Your heart has become an unwelcoming place for me.

(No I cannot give what I don't have, it's impossible)
I am not capable of providing something that I don't possess.

So we grasp at "some kind of paradise lies just ahead"
We are reaching out for the possibility of finding paradise in the future.

If we drive through the night we just might hit it
Perhaps we can reach that paradise if we drive through the night.

I just wanna drive straight through the night with you
I want to drive through the night with you.