How Do You Interpret "Driving Your Girlfriend Home"

[Mr. Jackpots]

Do you think the narrator is falling in love with the titular girlfriend and is confessing this in song, ever so cryptically, to his friend/her lover, or is he in a secret gay relationship with the friend and the conflict causes him unease during the drive with the girlfriend?

 

[Anonymous]

Do you think the narrator is falling in love with the titular girlfriend and is confessing this in song, ever so cryptically, to his friend/her lover, or is he in a secret gay relationship with the friend and the conflict causes him unease during the drive with the girlfriend?

Both.

 

[Mr. Jackpots]

I still think it's the former. At any rate I think it's one of his best songs.

 

[Amy]

I always heard it as him lamenting how the average, run-of-the-mill 'Dagenham Dave' types manage to find partners (despite how their 'sense of humour...gets gradually worse' etc), when he's (presumably) still alone. Thinking that the girlfriend is wasted on the other bloke, she'd be better off with him but neither will say it, and life is unfair. "Kit" and "Happy Lovers United" are a bit similar - Moz "outside looking in", refereeing various friends' love lives, wondering. I don't see any gay subtext in this one - just unrequited love for a woman. He can have both, remember...

 

[Deleted member 1074]

I always heard it as him lamenting how the average, run-of-the-mill 'Dagenham Dave' types manage to find partners (despite how their 'sense of humour...gets gradually worse' etc), when he's (presumably) still alone. Thinking that the girlfriend is wasted on the other bloke, she'd be better off with him but neither will say it, and life is unfair. "Kit" and "Happy Lovers United" are a bit similar - Moz "outside looking in", refereeing various friends' love lives, wondering. I don't see any gay subtext in this one.

Gay subtext is not something you see...it’s something you feel...deep in your gut.

 

[Amy]

Gay subtext is not something you see...it’s something you feel...deep in your gut.

 

[Mr. Jackpots]

I always heard it as him lamenting how the average, run-of-the-mill 'Dagenham Dave' types manage to find partners (despite how their 'sense of humour...gets gradually worse' etc), when he's (presumably) still alone. Thinking that the girlfriend is wasted on the other bloke, she'd be better off with him but neither will say it, and life is unfair. "Kit" and "Happy Lovers United" are a bit similar - Moz "outside looking in", refereeing various friends' love lives, wondering. I don't see any gay subtext in this one - just unrequited love for a woman. He can have both, remember...

I don't get that impression from Kit; I think that one's just him lecturing someone. Happy Lovers; yeah, agree.

 

[SuedeMoz]

I always thought the first interpretation. He's had a ban on playing Kill Uncle songs since the Your Arsenal tour - this is one I'd love to see him resurrect. The live version had an even greater beauty than the album version - which was true for many songs on KU.

 

[Mr. Jackpots]

I always thought the first interpretation. He's had a ban on playing Kill Uncle songs since the Your Arsenal tour - this is one I'd love to see him resurrect. The live version had an even greater beauty than the album version - which was true for many songs on KU.

Agreed.

 

[Ryan]

Gay subtext is not something you see...it’s something you feel...deep in your gut.

Very, very deep.

 

[Anonymous]

I think it goes with "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out." The "girlfriend" is the one who sings "take me out tonight" and this is "I'm taking you home now."

 

[Mr. Jackpots]

I think it goes with "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out." The "girlfriend" is the one who sings "take me out tonight" and this is "I'm taking you home now."

That's a fair enough take.

 

[Mr. Jackpots]

I always thought the first interpretation. He's had a ban on playing Kill Uncle songs since the Your Arsenal tour - this is one I'd love to see him resurrect. The live version had an even greater beauty than the album version - which was true for many songs on KU.

I don't see it as a ban. I think he is genuinely uncomfortable with who he was during that time. Now, to me, having said that, it's great...being uncomfortable makes for some great art. Whereas now he is comfortable as f*** and makes 75 percent shit. Give me Kill Uncle any day.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

I think it goes with "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out." The "girlfriend" is the one who sings "take me out tonight" and this is "I'm taking you home now."

And then “That’s How People Grow Up” goes with that because he crashes and breaks his spine after he drops her off!

 

[Mr. Jackpots]

And then “That’s How People Grow Up” goes with that because he crashes and breaks his spine after he drops her off!

EXACTLY

 

[SuedeMoz]

I don't see it as a ban. I think he is genuinely uncomfortable with who he was during that time. Now, to me, having said that, it's great...being uncomfortable makes for some great art. Whereas now he is comfortable as f*** and makes 75 percent shit. Give me Kill Uncle any day.

Agreed. I definitely rate KU over LIHS. BTW, love the Curb reference.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

Agreed. I definitely rate KU over LIHS.

Parts are better, parts are not. For example, the style of the outro to “I Bury The Living” is better than anything on Kill Uncle.

 

[Mr. Jackpots]

Parts are better, parts are not. For example, the style of the outro to “I Bury The Living” is better than anything on Kill Uncle.

Yeah he saves that song at the end. It becomes Wings. I don't know how that motherf***er does it but he does it.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

Yeah he saves that song at the end. It becomes Wings. I don't know how that motherf***er does it but he does it.

That’s what kills me. He still has it in him to sound great even if what he’s saying isn’t up to snuff anymore...but he just chooses not to. It’s like subversion makes his dick hard.

 

[Mr. Jackpots]

That’s what kills me. He still has it in him to sound great even if what he’s saying isn’t up to snuff anymore...but he just chooses not to. It’s like subversion makes his dick hard.

Pretty sure you've summed up everything since Refusal...