The Drifter
Roy Clark And Gatemouth Brown Lyrics
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There's a feeling inside of me
Nothing new
I've felt it before
Like the voice of hunger
Inside of me crying out
There's got to be more
In the arms of an open road
And you can come along
If you choose
'Cause there's places
That I've never been to
Sunsets to be ridden into
Not a lot I can do
But give in to the drifter
There's a drifter in me
Though I've tried it
I'm just not a settler
And nine to five
Don't make it with me
Why deny it
It makes me feel better
To come alive
And prove that I'm free
I wear no chains
And I carry no heavy load
So much to gain
And nothing to lose
'Cause there's places
That I've never been to
Sunsets to be ridden into
Not a lot I can do
But give in to the drifter
There's a drifter in me
The lyrics of Roy Clark and Gatemouth Brown's song, The Drifter describe the experience of feeling restless and the desire to be free from the constrictions of a settled lifestyle. The song begins with the singer describing a feeling of emptiness and hunger, something that they have felt before, and that it's a feeling that comes from within. They express their desire to put their faith in the arms of an open road and invite others to join them if they so choose. The singer speaks of places they've never been to and sunsets they've yet to ride into, expressing that there is very little they can do but give in to the drifter within them.
The second verse continues to emphasize the singer's desire for freedom and their difficulty in settling down. They express that they have tried to settle down before, but it never works for them. They find the traditional nine to five workday to be too constricting and only feel alive when they are free to roam. The singer explicitly states that they choose not to wear any chains or carry any heavy loads, again emphasizing their desire to be free. The song ultimately speaks to the drifter lifestyle, emphasizing the beauty and freedom that can come from being a wanderer and living life on your own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
Once again
I have this feeling inside me again
There's a feeling inside of me
I have an emotional sensation
Nothing new
It's not something unfamiliar
I've felt it before
I have experienced it previously
Like the voice of hunger
It's similar to a feeling of starvation
Inside of me crying out
It's screaming within me
There's got to be more
There has to be something else
I'll put my faith
I will trust
In the arms of an open road
In the embrace of an unrestricted path
And you can come along
If you want, you can accompany me
If you choose
It's up to you
'Cause there's places
Because there are locations
That I've never been to
That I have never visited
Sunsets to be ridden into
Places where I can watch the sunset
Not a lot I can do
There isn't much that I can accomplish
But give in to the drifter
Except to yield to my wandering nature
There's a drifter in me
I am a wanderer at heart
Though I've tried it
Even though I attempted it
I'm just not a settler
I am not content with settling down
And nine to five
Working from 9 AM to 5 PM
Don't make it with me
Is not good for me
Why deny it
Why not acknowledge it
It makes me feel better
It makes me more content
To come alive
To be fully present and active
And prove that I'm free
As evidence of my freedom
I wear no chains
I am not bound by anything
And I carry no heavy load
I am not burdened by anything significant
So much to gain
There is a lot to acquire
And nothing to lose
And nothing to forfeit
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENNIS EMANUEL BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
rolf bay
One of my favourite songs. Good to hear a different version. Thank you.
Gayle Whittle
Haven't heard this album in many, many years. Once I thought of it, I wasn't sure I'd find it. Thanks so much for posting it. What a great album!
Tom Jones
Thank a heap never new this even existed really both play well together great album
Tim Parker
I saw him do a solo acoustic show in Dallas at Poor David's Pub. I requested this & he played it (broke two guitar strings). The Dallas Morning News called it one of the top ten shows of the year. He packed a pistol every where he went & collected the money himself from the promoter.
stormbringer60kb
There's something about the flames coming from his nostrils. Thank you for reminding me of refinishing furniture with Papa in the garage. We would listen to this while drinking beer and staining stuff we found at the junkyard! Good times. Are you still listening Papa?
VinylAndTapeForever
You're very welcome - glad you liked it! And thank you for stopping by - don't be a stranger!
Gulf Breeze
The lyrics man so kewl
Doug Collier
I saw Clarence play this live at a coke club in Aurora, Illinois. The there were maybe 20 people there. on a Sunday night. The club owners wanted legit acts, but the place wouldn't hold enough people to give the band a payday. Sunday nights wasn't a good idea, either. Anyway, they dealt coke to pay the musicians. Clarence seemed disgusted to be there. Rumor has it that Alligator wouldn't let any of their artists to play there. Eventually, they went out of business. It should have been a karoke bar with its size.
wolf87410
Does anyone stil have the older record cover for this from aroun' 63'?
Elricwulf
I was gonna say, I'd have edited out the skips before uploading, but on second thought, there's something somewhat unsettling about the triple skip when he says "here come the Devil" that seems pretty appropriate to the song.