Drive – English Lyrics

• By: Alessia Cara
• Album: Love & Hyperbole

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the introspective beauty of Alessia Cara's "Drive," a poignant track where her vocals shine over a slow, melancholic beat. Listening to this song offers insight into the English language's capacity for conveying deep, personal resolve and sadness without needing a fast tempo, showcasing how lyrical subtlety can communicate profound emotional states.

[English]

Found enough ways I can turn their all dead ends

Not enough sage I can burn to clean my head

I'm a dying flower in a dark room

Just a quarter of the way through

I wanna take the wheel of a car that I just stole

Let the rain funnel in from the window right on

Severe things that I fight off

Watch 'em crash like glass on the sidewalk

And drive

And drive

Where do I go? I've outgrown the face I wear

I'm getting over relying on tomorrow to get somewhere

I'm a wooden soldier on a table

Just a quarter of the way home

I wanna take the wheel of a car that I just stole

Let the rain funnel in from the window right on

Severe things that I fight off

Watch them crash like glass on the sidewalk

And drive

And drive

Drive

And drive

A thousand tiny fires igniting

On the feeling, I see them

I'll cradle my desires like a child

I hear it, oh, they're screaming

To take the wheel of a car that I just stole

Let the rain funnel in from the window right on

Severe things that I fight off

Watch them crash like glass on the sidewalk

And drive (drive)

And drive ('ive, yeah)

Drive (ooh, hey)

And drive

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
drive /draɪv/ A2	verb - to operate a vehicle verb - to move or travel in a vehicle
take /teɪk/ A1	verb - to get into one's hands or control
wheel /wiːl/ A2	noun - a round object that rotates to allow movement
car /kɑːr/ A1	noun - a road vehicle with four wheels
stole /stoʊl/ B1	verb - to take something without permission
rain /reɪn/ A1	noun - water falling from the sky
window /ˈwɪndoʊ/ A1	noun - an opening in a wall or vehicle for light
severe /sɪˈvɪr/ B1	adjective - very serious or extreme
things /θɪŋz/ A1	noun - objects, matters, or situations
fight /faɪt/ A2	verb - to try to overcome or defeat
crash /kræʃ/ A2	verb - to hit something violently and cause damage
glass /glæs/ A1	noun - a material that is transparent and brittle
sidewalk /ˈsaɪdˌwɔːk/ B1	noun - a paved path for pedestrians
head /hɛd/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck
flower /ˈflaʊər/ A1	noun - the reproductive part of a plant
room /ruːm/ A1	noun - a space within a building
way /weɪ/ A1	noun - a method or manner
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front part of the head
soldier /ˈsoʊldʒər/ A2	noun - a person in an army
table /ˈteɪbəl/ A1	noun - a piece of furniture with a flat top

Key Grammar Structures

• Found enough ways I can turn their all dead ends

  ➔ Relative clause with omitted relative pronoun

  ➔ The sentence can be rephrased as "Found enough ways *that* I can turn..." where "that" is the omitted relative pronoun. This is common when the relative pronoun is the object of the relative clause.

• Not enough sage I can burn to clean my head

  ➔ Ellipsis/Omission in a Relative Clause

  ➔ Similar to the previous example, there's an implied relative pronoun: "Not enough sage *that* I can burn..." It's an example of grammatical ellipsis.

• I wanna take the wheel of a car that I just stole

  ➔ Relative clause with 'that'

  ➔ 'that' introduces a defining relative clause, providing essential information about the noun (car).

• Let the rain funnel in from the window right on

  ➔ Imperative with 'let'

  ➔ 'Let' is used to make a suggestion or give permission. Here, it expresses a desire for the rain to enter.

• Where do I go? I've outgrown the face I wear

  ➔ Present perfect tense ('I've outgrown')

  ➔ The present perfect tense ('have/has + past participle') indicates an action completed at some point in the past that has a connection to the present. In this case, the speaker's face (metaphorically) no longer fits their current state.

• I'm getting over relying on tomorrow to get somewhere

  ➔ Gerund as object of preposition

  ➔ "Relying" is a gerund (verb + -ing) that functions as the object of the preposition "on".

• A thousand tiny fires igniting

  ➔ Present participle as adjective

  ➔ "Igniting" is a present participle modifying the noun "fires." It describes the action the fires are doing.