There are two bands by the name of Sunday Driver. One is a Rock/Alternative… Read Full Bio ↴There are two bands by the name of Sunday Driver. One is a Rock/Alternative/Post-Hardcore band from Miami, FL formed up in 1995 that has put out 2 releases on Doghouse Records. The other are a Cambridge and London based fusion band with English folk and classical Indian influences. In 2009 they became popular within the UK Steampunk scene.

Sunday Driver (USA 1995-2010): Alex Martinez (guitar, and vocals) and Arnold Nese (bass) formed the Miami Florida quartet, Sunday Driver in 1995. Sunday Driver began playing the local Miami scene with bands like New Found Glory, The Vacant Andys, Strongarm, Shai Hulud, and other Miami emo and hardcore bands. In 1997 Sunday Driver added second guitarist Charlie Suarez, and in 1999 they met drummer Paul Trust, thus completing the line up know today as Sunday Driver. The band soon began work on a 5 song EP for Doghouse Records. Sunday Driver’s debut release, Third Place Prize, came out in October of 2001. Sunday Driver's debut LP, "A Letter to Bryson City" was released on March 25, 2003 on Doghouse Records, boasting the single and video for "Forever Again".

Sunday Driver (UK): Sunday Driver were formed in the summer of 2000, though lead singer Chandrika "Chandy" Nath had earlier composed some of the songs whilst monitoring ice floes near the South Pole, during a field trip in Antarctica, collecting data for the British Antarctic Survey.
An Arts Council grant back in 2004 paid for training workshops with renowned sitarist Baluji Shrivastav.
In 2009, Sunday Driver were the opening band at the first UK Steampunk Festival, held at The Lawn Asylum, Lincoln, the same year they opened the Cambridge Folk Festival.

They are named after a gene (SYD) commonly found in mice.

Official site: http://www.sundaydriver.co.uk/

RATS
Sunday Driver Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You've got the devil in you eyes
You've got a monkey up your sleeve
oh, show it to me again

I'll watch the concrete builders if your
rat run shooting for the sky
round and around and around and around
on the wheel

We are the rats that run in the subway
we are the mice that shoot the revolving doors
deep down
in the bowels of the earth underground,
licking up the blood on the floor

We're the rats that run in the subway
the mice thet shoot the revolving doors
deep down
in the bowels of the earth underground,
licking up the blood on the floor

You've got an infinite disguise
You've got the lights I won't believe
oh, say it to me again

I'll watch the wide world working on a
wide screen righ before my eyes
round and around and around and around
on the wheel

We are the rats that run in the subway
we are the mice that shoot the revolving doors
deep down
in the bowels of the earth underground,
licking up the blood on the floor

We're the rats that run in the subway
the mice thet shoot the revolving doors
deep down
in the bowels of the earth underground,
licking up the blood on the floor

Deep down x8

All the rats that run
All the mice that shoots
in the bowels of the earth
deep down x2

We are the rats that run in the subway
we are the mice that shoot the revolving doors
deep down
in the bowels of the earth underground,
licking up the blood on the floor
We're the rats that run in the subway
the mice that shoot the revolving doors
deep down

Deep down
deep down

deep down
deep down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sunday Driver's song 'Rats' depict the rat race that many of us face in our daily lives. The opening lines, "You've got the devil in your eyes, You've got a monkey up your sleeve" suggest that the singer is caught up in a cycle of self-doubt and deception. The chorus, "We are the rats that run in the subway, we are the mice that shoot the revolving doors," metaphorically illustrates how people are scurrying around aimlessly, trapped in an endless cycle of work, sleep, and repeat. The repetition of "round and around and around and around on the wheel" emphasizes this idea.

The lyrics also hint at the dark and gruesome nature of the rat race: "Deep down in the bowels of the earth underground, licking up the blood on the floor." This line suggests that people are willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it means leaving others behind or engaging in cut-throat competition. The repetition of "deep down" at the end of the song drives home the idea that this cycle of self-destruction and competition is happening beneath the surface.

Overall, "Rats" is a poignant commentary on the endless cycle of work and competition that consumes many of us. The lyrics remind us to take a step back and question the values and attitudes that drive us, and to consider whether there might be a better way of living.

Line by Line Meaning

You've got the devil in you eyes
Your eyes show evil or deceitful intentions

You've got a monkey up your sleeve
You have a hidden trick or scheme

oh, show it to me again
Please demonstrate or reveal your trick once more

I'll watch the concrete builders if your rat run shooting for the sky
I'll observe the construction workers if you aim to escape or climb skyscrapers like a rat

round and around and around and around
Repetition and monotony of this cycle

on the wheel
On the hamster wheel or cycle of meaningless activity

We are the rats that run in the subway
We are the downtrodden and desperate individuals who scavenge in the underground transportation system

we are the mice that shoot the revolving doors
We are the resourceful and cunning individuals who exploit the automatic doors for our own advantage

deep down
Far beneath the surface, in the depths

in the bowels of the earth underground
In the very heart or core of the underworld

licking up the blood on the floor
Feeding off the scraps or leftovers of others' suffering and pain

You've got an infinite disguise
You possess a never-ending supply of false facades or personas

You've got the lights I won't believe
Your artificial glow or allure doesn't fool me

oh, say it to me again
Please repeat your false promises or words of manipulation

I'll watch the wide world working on a wide screen righ before my eyes
I'll observe the endless activity and chaos of the world on a large screen

All the rats that run
Every single downtrodden or desperate individual