Written by: Derek Webb
Lyrics:
It’s a muggy night in Houston
And all the intersections are like full serve stations
I’m on my way to a familiar place
It’s cold in Kansas city
And you can no more hear me that I can see your face
How I wish it was just you and me
We wouldn’t have to talk above the crowd
We wouldn’t have to talk so loud
I give you my life and all I am
But what have it to give
So I hand you a candid photograph of this little boy
‘Cause I’ve nothing to my name
But I can give you that
I don’t miss the driving
Seems like forever
And I’m always driving in my mind
And wearing out the road that gets me there
And I’m driving till my eyes just can’t see straight
But I suppose that it’s getting late
I may never find the sleep
I’ve lost all feeling in my hands and
Feet may touch the ground but
My mind’s somewhere north of here
See also: MusicBrainz, iTunes.
From Derek’s journal, 1/10/97:
What it Means:
As Derek says, this is the one love song that has stayed alive through the years. Originally written as a Christmas present for a girl he dated and thought would be “the one”. The original version of this song is featured on the Guild Volume 1 cd. At the time, the girl lived in Kansas City, and Derek lived in Houston.
“All the intersections are like full serve stations”…this is a metaphor to say that the intersections were completely barren and empty.
“I’m always driving in my mind”…Because the two lived in different cities, Derek would often drive to Kansas City to see her.
“‘Cause I’ve nothing to my name but I can give you that.”…refers to him giving her his last name in marriage.
Other Notes:…Derek has often referred to this song as part one of a 3-part series of songs about the same girl. The other 2 songs are ‘Daring Daylight Escape’ and ‘Love is Different’…Now that Derek is happily married to someone else, he has said that this song has taken on a different meaning for him…