drivin'
kinks [the] Lyrics


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It seems like all the world is fighting
They're even talking of a war
Let all the Russians and the Chinese
And the Spanish do their fighting
The sun is shining
We're going drivin', drivin'
Drop all your work
Leave it behind
Forget all your problems
And get in my car
And take a drive with me
The sandwiches are packed
The tea is in the flask
We've plenty of beer
And gooseberry tarts
So take a drive with me
We'll take your mother if you want to
We'll have a picnic on the grass
Forget your nephews
And your cousins and your brothers and your sisters
They'll never miss us
Cause we'll be drivin', drivin'. Drivin'. Drivin'
Thousands of trees
Hundreds of fields
Millions of birds
So why don't you come
And take a drive with me
We'll talk to the cows
And laugh at the sheep
We'll lie in a field
And we'll have a sleep
So take a drive with me
And all the troubled world around us
Seems an eternity away
And all the debt collectors
Rent collectors
All will be behind us
But they'll never find us
Cause we'll be drivin', drivin', drivin', drivin'
Passed Barnet Church
Up to Potters Bar
We won't be home late
It's not very far




So take a drive with me, take a drive with me
Drivin', drivin', drivin', drivin'

Overall Meaning

The Kinks' song "Drivin'" is a joyous ode to hitting the open road, leaving behind the troubles of the world, and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. The opening lines of the song acknowledge the turmoil of the world around them, with talks of wars and fighting, but then they proceed to offer an escape. They suggest leaving all those problems behind and going for a drive, in a way reclaiming a sense of control amidst chaos. The lyrics then describe a leisurely road trip complete with sandwiches, tea, beer, and gooseberry tarts. There are also playful references to talking to cows, laughing at sheep, and sleeping in fields, all of which convey a sense of carefree, whimsical adventure. The song concludes with a suggestion to venture a little further from home because they won't be home late, it's not very far, and a final plea to join them on this free-spirited road trip.


The lyrics of this song capture a feeling of escapism and a longing for liberation from the everyday grind, and the music itself further reinforces that sense of freedom. The melody is light and bouncy, with a memorable hook with infectious vocal harmonies. The driving guitar riff, the clapping percussion, and the jaunty piano chords all combine to create an upbeat and playful energy. This is the kind of song that you can't help but sing along to, a jubilant anthem of escape that encourages listeners to leave their worries behind and hit the open road.


Line by Line Meaning

It seems like all the world is fighting
There's a lot of conflict and tension happening.


They're even talking of a war
The conflict is so bad that people are considering starting a war.


Let all the Russians and the Chinese
If there's going to be a war, let it be fought by other countries.


And the Spanish do their fighting
Let even more countries get involved in the war.


The sun is shining
Despite all the conflict, it's a beautiful day outside.


We're going drivin', drivin'
We're going on a drive to escape from all the negativity.


Drop all your work
Forget about your responsibilities.


Leave it behind
Don't carry your problems with you.


Forget all your problems
Don't dwell on your issues.


And get in my car
Let's go on this journey together.


And take a drive with me
Let's spend some time together away from everything else.


The sandwiches are packed
We have everything we need for our trip.


The tea is in the flask
We've even brought hot drinks for the road.


We've plenty of beer
We're prepared to have a good time.


And gooseberry tarts
We have plenty of treats to snack on.


We'll take your mother if you want to
We're including people in our adventure.


We'll have a picnic on the grass
We're going to enjoy the outdoors with some food.


Forget your nephews
Don't worry about your extended family.


And your cousins and your brothers and your sisters
Don't worry about your immediate family either.


They'll never miss us
No one will even realize we're gone.


Cause we'll be drivin', drivin'. Drivin'. Drivin'
We're going to drive for a long time and forget about everything else.


Thousands of trees
We're surrounded by nature.


Hundreds of fields
There's so much space and land around us.


Millions of birds
We're surrounded by life and the sounds of nature.


So why don't you come
Let's spend this time together.


We'll talk to the cows
Let's have fun and talk to the animals.


And laugh at the sheep
We're going to enjoy ourselves and find joy in silly things.


We'll lie in a field
We're going to take some time to relax and enjoy the outdoors.


And we'll have a sleep
We're even going to nap together.


And all the troubled world around us
The conflicts in the world are far away from us now.


Seems an eternity away
It feels like we're so far removed from all the negativity.


And all the debt collectors
Even our financial issues don't matter right now.


Rent collectors
Our rental issues don't matter either.


All will be behind us
We're leaving everything behind for a little while.


But they'll never find us
No one can bother us on this drive.


Passed Barnet Church
We're moving through different places on our adventure.


Up to Potters Bar
We're exploring new areas and enjoying the journey.


We won't be home late
We're not in a rush to get back to reality.


It's not very far
We're not even that far from home, but it feels like we're in a completely different world.


So take a drive with me, take a drive with me
Let's enjoy this journey together and make memories that will last a lifetime.


Drivin', drivin', drivin', drivin'
We're going to keep driving and enjoying ourselves for as long as we can.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Kay 🪐☮️

Excellent song :)

Los Huxley’s

I guess the opening section is a Picture Book reference

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