When NEEDTOBREATHE’s Bear and Bo Rinehart set out to write the songs that appear on the band’s new album, The Reckoning, they felt something bigger awaited them. It wasn’t just commercial success either. The band’s last album The Outsiders hit No. 9 on Billboard’s Rock Albums chart, went Top 20 on the Top 200, saw the band sell out venues such as Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and Chicago’s House of Blues, and score an impressive number of placements in blockbuster films and numerous prime time television-shows.
With their reputation as a must-see live act built from non-stop touring, the Rinehart brothers, pastor’s sons who hail from the rural South Carolina town of Possum Kingdom, along with drummer Joe Stillwell and bass player Seth Bolt, were determined to create a statement-making album that truly captured the magic behind this genuinely appealing rock band.
Lyrically, all roads lead from the album’s title, which Bear says has several different meanings, one of them being the justification of accounts. “I like the idea that you put in all this work and at some point it comes to a peak -- that’s the reckoning time.”
What the band emerged with is a timeless-sounding album rooted in classic American rock and roll, unafraid to veer off into unexpected directions. Songs such as “Maybe They’re On To Us” address the paranoia of wondering whether people know too much about the band. “It also asks, ‘Are we still driven in the same way?’ We’re always questioning ourselves,” Bear says. Even the songs that may sound light-hearted on the surface, like “White Fences,” “Slumber,” and “Drive All Night,” explore serious themes. “’White Fences’ is about the American dream of growing up in a big house with a white picket fence, but when the dream is broken and things don’t pan out the way you planned, asking who’s going to fix it,” Bo says. “’Slumber’ is meant to be about how beauty is all around you but you just can’t see it because of the funk you’re in,” Bear says. “It speaks to something that we really care about which is giving yourself a chance.” And there’s “Drive All Night,” a galloping barnstormer that Bear sees as a statement on the false idea that one can run away from one’s problems.
With their intriguing melodies and bright choruses, the songs on The Reckoning are certain to translate in the live setting, something that is crucial to the band. “The worst thing that could happen is you get done playing and people don’t think about you again. We’ll do whatever it takes to force people to make a decision about our band, whether they love us or not. It makes for more passionate fans.”
Drive All Night
NEEDTOBREATHE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back to the middle
I need a new locale
I need a girl that calls me baby,
I need to know if she can save me
I need somewhere I can drive all night
Out into the darkness,
I gotta know if they can take me
I gotta know if they can save me
Whoa
Whoa
Focus in every word
Change my path
Maybe I could leave a mark
Try and prove the poets wrong
There must be a time,
Maybe we could be the song to march us on
I ain't lookin' for a free ride home
Back to the middle
I need a new locale
I need a girl that calls me baby
I need to know if she can save me
I need somewhere I can drive all night
Out into the darkness
Follow the headlights down
I need to know where they can take me
I gotta know if they can save me
Whoa
Whoa
Beg the book to turn the page
'Cause I get stuck where the villains get away
Somewhere in this wretched tale
There must be a line where the victim get his way, just one time
Oh I'll get mine
I ain't lookin' for a free ride home
Back to the middle
I need a new locale
I need a girl that calls me baby
I gotta know if she can save me
I need somewhere I can drive all night
Out into the darkness,
Follow the headlights down,
I need to know where they can take me
I gotta know if they can save me
Whoa
Drive all night (Yeah baby just)
Hold on tight (Oh and you can)
Close your eyes (Yeah and)
We can say goodbye
We can drive all night (Yeah just)
Hold on tight (Baby just)
Close your eyes (Yeah and)
We can say goodbye
Whoa (Baby, we can say goodbye)
Whoa
The song "Drive All Night" by NEEDTOBREATHE explores the search for a meaningful life and a deeper connection with someone else. The lyrics depict a desire to escape the mundane and find adventure with someone who might be able to save the singer. He seeks a girl who calls him baby and who can offer him a new start in a different location. The song's repetitive chorus emphasizes the need for assurance that the headlights will lead him to a better place, where he can find what he's looking for.
In the second verse, we see the singer expressing a desire to make an impact on the world and leave something behind. He wants to prove the poets wrong by finding a meaningful purpose in life. There seems to be a sense of desperation in his words, a feeling that he needs to find something before it's too late. The mention of villains and victims adds to this sense of struggle and a need for redemption.
Overall, the song portrays a longing for connections and a desire to leave behind the mundane aspects of life. It's a call to adventure and an expression of hope in finding something greater.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't lookin' for a free ride home
I'm not looking to take advantage of anyone's generosity or charity to get where I need to go
Back to the middle
I don't want to go back to where I was before, to a place of mediocrity or lack of progress
I need a new locale
I need a change of scenery, a fresh start somewhere new
I need a girl that calls me baby,
I need a romantic partner who is affectionate and loving toward me
I need to know if she can save me
I need to know if this person can be a positive influence on me, helping me overcome my struggles
I need somewhere I can drive all night
I need a place where I can escape from my problems and let my mind wander without any distractions
Out into the darkness,
Into the unknown, into a place where anything is possible
Follow the headlights down
Use the car's headlights to guide me on a journey, following a path that's illuminated and hopefully leads to something better
I gotta know if they can take me
I need to know if the journey will be worthwhile, if it will take me to a better place
I gotta know if they can save me
I need to know if what I'm looking for is out there, and if it can help me overcome my struggles
Focus in every word
Pay attention to every detail, every nuance, and every bit of information, looking for something that can help me make progress in my life
Change my path
Make a new decision, alter my course, and try something different
Maybe I could leave a mark
Make a lasting impression on the world, do something significant that will be remembered long after I'm gone
Try and prove the poets wrong
Challenge conventional wisdom and forge my own path, even if it goes against what others expect of me
There must be a time,
There must come a point when things start to go my way
Maybe we could be the song to march us on
Maybe I can find someone to help me on this journey, someone to be my companion and keep me motivated
Beg the book to turn the page
Implore life to give me a break, hoping that things will start looking up for me
'Cause I get stuck where the villains get away
I often find myself in difficult situations, where it seems like the bad guys have all the power and I'm left helpless
Somewhere in this wretched tale
Despite all the struggles and hardships, there must be some hope or redemption to be found
There must be a line where the victim get his way, just one time
There must come a point where I can take control of my life and make things go my way, even if it's just once
Oh I'll get mine
I'll get what's coming to me, whether it's success, happiness, or justice
Drive all night (Yeah baby just)
Spend all night driving, with no particular destination in mind, just enjoying the peace and freedom of the open road
Hold on tight (Oh and you can)
Hold on tight to the things that matter most in life, the people and experiences that bring us joy and fulfillment
Close your eyes (Yeah and)
Block out the distractions of the world and focus on what's inside, on our dreams and aspirations
We can say goodbye
Let go of the things that are holding us back, saying goodbye to our fears, doubts, and insecurities
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nathaniel Rinehart, William Rinehart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Boo Henry
If anyone wants to see a top-notch band that will keep you on your feet, this is the band. Top of the line!!
Malinda Lewis
I agree
Mark Romeo
NEEDTOBREATHE is the greatest group of secular and christian songs ever. I cannot wait until I go to the upcoming concert in Pittsburgh PA!
Darrell Pack
I am an old guy and so I'm embarrassed to admit it but I love these guys. They remind me of CCR and the Boss with a U2 hint. I might even have to quit my "you kid's music now days" gripe. God bless.
Bobby Rice
48... my daughter and I have been living these guys and going to their concerts for years... best group out there in my opinion.
Malinda Lewis
You're not old. You are a collectable......more so, priceless..., don't you ever forget that....
J Bratton
Darrell Pack
Music especially Needtobreathe is for everyone . Age doesn't matter in the least
Janus
Seven years later. . . And this is still one of my favorite songs. Never stop. You guys are great
FrankofSimi
These guys just knock it out of the park....such a great sound
Di Lewis
You are now my new favourite band. Awesome lyrics and vocals. Love your "Brother let me be your shelter" song. Subscribed to your Youtube page and listening to all your songs while I do my school report writing. Thanks.