Today, I decided to give The Red Wolf some run and drove into work. Instead of listening to Mike & Mike, I checked out the tunes on SiriusXM Pop 2k. During the 50-minute ride from the north end of Montgomery County down into the Foggy Bottom portion of DC, one of the tracks that played had me immediately turning up the volume…something about the intro guitar chords. That brings me to this week’s moment in the Flashback Friday series: Incubus’ “Drive”.
How I first came across this moment? I got my first listen of the band’s biggest hit in November 2000. Back when I worked at Domino’s, the delivery drivers would give me rides home. For some interesting reason, they all listened to 103.7 FM—The Q. “Drive” was one of the hottest tracks in the country.
What it meant to me then? In my early listening to the track, I found myself nodding my head to it whenever I heard it. I thought that the lyrics were interesting in a way that they could’ve been interpreted as a track advocating against drunk driving or about overcoming one’s fear and taking advantage of the moment. I thought that the guitar chords made the track a superstar.
What it means to me now? The track has had a home in my Windows Media Player library and the Juan Thomas Presents…The Rock Hits playlist since 2001. These days, it’s a track that comes to mind when I need a pick-me-up or a nudging when I’m faced with a decision that makes me uneasy about proceeding. I do find myself in beautiful enjoyment of the music video, mostly because I dig the rotoscoped animation much the same way I like the famous Zero 7 music video.
