The Gaslight Anthem’s music embraces many elements of blues, classic rock, and punk rock. The band has described their sound as “Bruce Springsteen singing for a Cure cover band, with a tinge more aggression.” The group’s fondness for Springsteen, a significant influence on their music, is celebrated by fans and critics alike. Representative of such views, one critic wrote, “The Gaslight Anthem are like something out of speculative fiction: this is what pop music would be if Springsteen hadn’t listened to his producer, let the Ramones record ‘Hungry Heart,’ and launched the C.B.G.B.’ers into megastardom.”
The band released its first LP, Sink or Swim, in 2007 through XOXO Records, and toured with many reputable bands, including Against Me!, The Draft, Dead to Me, and Fake Problems.
The Gaslight Anthem’s second release, a 4-song EP entitled Señor and the Queen, was released on January 29th, 2008 by Sabot Productions.
Their second full-length, The ‘59 Sound, was released on August 19, 2008 on Side One Dummy Records. The album debuted at #70 on the Billboard top 200. It was produced by Ted Hutt, who has produced albums for The Bouncing Souls, Flogging Molly, and MxPx.
On August 6, 2008 they became the first band to ever appear on the cover of Kerrang! magazine without the publication having previously written a single word about them.
In Fall 2008, the band toured with Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, and Thrice.
On December 9, 2008, the Gaslight Anthem made their television debut on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, performing the song the “The ‘59 Sound.” On January 30, 2009, they appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, again playing “The ‘59 Sound.”
Their third full-length, American Slang, was released on June 15, 2010, on Side One Dummy Records. The Bring It On Songfacts reports that it finds the band moving away from the fictional lyrics and '50s-inspired sound of their previous records.
In 2010 they appeared on the main stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK along with Arcade Fire, The Libertines and Modest Mouse.
Their fourth full-length, Handwritten was released on July 23, 2012 in the UK, and on July 24 in the US. The lead single, "45", was aired for the first time worldwide as Zane Lowe's Hottest Record in the World on April 30, 2012 on BBC Radio 1 and was released on iTunes on May 8, 2012. Handwritten was called by The Rolling Stone their "biggest sounding, most straightforward album"
drive
The Gaslight Anthem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Side roads boarded up, decisions decided on
But in my nights there are restless hours
When three A-M comes down and nothing else comes up
And the only thing we know
Is it's getting dark and we'd better go
And the only thing we see
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I'm all right to drive
And in my heart I'm the weary kind
I'm much tired to cry
Though it's sad enough for tears
It's been try, fail, try for years
And when the next year comes along
I don't know if I'll be home
I don't know if we'll survive
And the only thing we know
Is it's getting dark and we'd better go
And the only thing we see
Are the despairs of the day
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I'm all right to drive
And we're much too young of men
To carry such heavy heads
And tonight for the first time
It felt good to be alive
Yeah, we're much too young of men
To carry such heavy heads
And tonight for the first time
It felt good to be alive again, my friend
Only thing we know
It's getting dark and we'd better go
And the only thing we see
Are the despairs of the day
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I'm all right to drive
The Gaslight Anthem's song "Drive" is a reflection on life and the uncertainty about its future. The singer feels lost, weighed down by the burdens of life, aware of being too young to carry such heavy heads, and struggles to find his place in the world. He describes how he has already made decisions and boarded up side roads in his head, but restless nights and despair of the day make him feel like he is at a crossroads. He is aware that life is uncertain, and as the night wears on, he reminds his brothers to go to sleep if they are too tired, as he can still drive. The song may also hint at the challenges of touring as a band, where constant travel can wear on a person. However, despite such hardships, they find joy in their existence and feel alive.
Line by Line Meaning
In my head I am already gone
I've already made up my mind and mentally left
Side roads boarded up, decisions decided on
I've closed off other options and made choices
But in my nights there are restless hours
Despite my certainty, I still have moments of anxiety
When three A-M comes down and nothing else comes up
Late at night I'm alone with my thoughts and worries
And the only thing we know
All we're certain of
Is it's getting dark and we'd better go
We need to leave soon because night is falling
And the only thing we see
All we can perceive
Are the despairs of the day
The negative aspects of what's happened today
And if you're too tired
If you're feeling worn out
Go to sleep my brothers, I
Rest and let me take charge
And if you're too tired
If you're exhausted
Go to sleep my brothers, I'm all right to drive
Sleep and trust me to handle driving
And in my heart I'm the weary kind
I'm emotionally drained
I'm much tired to cry
I'm too worn out even to shed tears
Though it's sad enough for tears
Even though the situation merits tears
It's been try, fail, try for years
I've struggled and experienced setbacks for a long time
And when the next year comes along
Looking ahead to the future
I don't know if I'll be home
I'm not sure if I'll make it back
I don't know if we'll survive
Uncertainty and concern for the future
And we're much too young of men
We're still inexperienced and naive
To carry such heavy heads
To bear such heavy burdens
And tonight for the first time
But tonight, finally
It felt good to be alive
I felt relieved to be alive
Yeah, we're much too young of men
Again, we're still inexperienced and naive
And tonight for the first time
Once again, finally
It felt good to be alive again, my friend
To feel alive and not just go through the motions
Only thing we know
The one thing we're sure of
It's getting dark and we'd better go
We need to leave soon because it's getting late
And if you're too tired
If you're exhausted
Go to sleep my brothers, I
Rest and let me handle things
And if you're too tired
If you're feeling worn out
Go to sleep my brothers, I
Trust me to take the reins
And if you're too tired
If you can't keep going
Go to sleep my brothers, I
I'll lead the way
And if you're too tired
If you're exhausted
Go to sleep my brothers, I'm all right to drive
Sleep and have faith in me to drive safely
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN FALLON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
shackledwithfreedom
In my head I am already gone
Side roads boarded up, decisions decided on
But in my nights there are restless hours
When 3 AM comes down and nothing else comes up
And the only thing we know
Is it's getting dark and we'd better go
And the only thing we see
Are the despairs of the day
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I'm all right to drive
And in my heart I'm the weary kind
I'm much tired to cry
Though it's sad enough for tears
It's been try, fail, try for years
And when the next year comes along
I don't know if I'll be home
I don't know if we'll survive
And the only thing we know
Is it's getting dark and we'd better go
And the only thing we see
Are the despairs of the day
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I'm all right to drive
And we're much too young of men
To carry such heavy heads
And tonight for the first time
It felt good to be alive
Yeah, we're much too young of men
To carry such heavy heads
And tonight for the first time
It felt good to be alive again, my friend
Only thing we know
It's getting dark and we'd better go
And the only thing we see
Are the despairs of the day
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I
And if you're too tired
Go to sleep my brothers, I'm all right to drive
gaia 3465
gaslight anthem, I love you. in all my 27 years, you're the only band I can genuinely call mine...we all find bands and musicians like that and you're mine. thanks for making a difference in my life.
Richard Keyser
Easily some of the best music made in the past 20 years
EdTalks
I just had the opportunity to meet Brian by chance in the airport and I almost cried. Your comment hit the nail on the head and I thanked him for changing my life.
C.W. Richardson 3
There mine too, don't be greedy
oscar balderas
totally agree
sda casl
I was listening to Brian in an interview for the iTunes session and he said the one thing they all keep with them is the faith to the early fans of the band, and before they release ANYTHING they make sure they're not screwing over the early fans, and that they remain true to their roots. So I don't think you'll have that problem, they're all ridiculously awesome people.
Ashley Loupé
I remember listening to this song in high school. Great band, one of the few still out there.
Micha Flores
lol this was like 7 years ago.... most of the bands will last at least that :p
<3 tga
Rafael Botello
this has to be one of the most amazing songs i have heard this year.
FURN Gonzalez
I was there too foo... 🖕 How u been?. Los bukis reunion tour with gaslight anthem.. whaaaa. Jk. But imagine??