Saint Etienne are one of the bands who defined the early 90s indie dance genre, fusing the production values of the dance-pop that emerged in the wake of the Second Summer of Love with the clever lyrics and self-aware production of indie music.
Driving Home for Christmas
Saint Etienne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
oh, I can't wait to see those faces.
I'm driving home for Christmas, yeah,
well I'm moving down the line.
And it's been so long,
but I will be there;
I sing this song
Driving home for Christmas
top to toe in tailbacks.
Oh, I caught red lights on the run,
get my feet on snowy ground.
So I sing for you,
though you can hear me
when I get through
and feel you near me.
I'm driving home for Christmas
with a thousand memories.
I'm driving home for Christmas,
I look at the driver next to me;
he's just the same.
The lyrics of Saint Etienne's "Driving Home for Christmas" evokes a sense of longing and anticipation that is only experienced when one is headed home for the holidays. The singer is looking forward to seeing the familiar faces of loved ones and is optimistic about getting there despite the traffic that has piled up, creating a tailback. The first verse expresses excitement as the singer's journey home for the holidays is underway.
The second verse paints a different picture as the singer finds himself caught in traffic, surrounded by other drivers who are probably also headed home for Christmas, but he remains undeterred. This verse echoes the real-life experience of many people who face traffic and other obstacles in their journey home for the holidays. Despite the frustrations that come with it, they remain determined to get to their destination and see their loved ones.
The chorus of the song is catchy and easily relatable, encouraging listeners to sing along as they go about their journey home for the holidays. The lyrics have a nostalgic and sentimental tone to them, evoking memories of past Christmases and the excitement of creating new ones with loved ones. Overall, the song captures the essence of the joy, wonder, and nostalgia of the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm driving home for Christmas
I'm excited to finally be going back to where I consider home for Christmas
oh, I can't wait to see those faces
The thing I most anticipate about going home for the holidays is seeing my loved ones' faces
yeah, well I'm moving down the line
I'm making progress in my journey home
And it's been so long, but I will be there;
It's been a while since I've been home, but I'll finally arrive there now
I sing this song to pass the time away
I sing to distract myself from the long drive and countdown the hours until I'll be home
top to toe in tailbacks
I'm stuck in heavy traffic and surrounded by other drivers doing the same thing
Oh, I caught red lights on the run
I had to stop at a red light when trying to speed up my journey home
get my feet on snowy ground
I'm looking forward to finally stepping out of the car and onto the snowy ground when I reach home
So I sing for you,
I sing for my loved ones who cannot be with me on this journey
though you can hear me
Even though you cannot physically hear me, I sing to feel closer to you
when I get through
Once I arrive home
and feel you near me
I'll finally be reunited with the ones I love and feel their presence near me
with a thousand memories
I have countless happy holiday memories from home that make me excited to return
I look at the driver next to me;
I see another person making the same journey as me and it reminds me that I'm not alone
he's just the same.
The other driver is also eagerly returning home for Christmas, just like me
Contributed by Jayce A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.