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Rolling Stones songs: I’m Gonna Drive
I’ve seen fire, disaster and hurricane/ And sad eyed people and dirty dreams/ And battered suit cases and cryin’ kids/ And resignation at how life is…
*B-side of the Out of Tears single Written by: Jagger/Richards Recorded: Ronnie Wood’s Sandymount Studios, Kildare, Ireland, July 9-Aug. 6 and Sept. 1993; Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland, Nov. 3-Dec. 10 1993; Don Was’ Studio and A&M Studios, Los Angeles, USA, Jan. 15-Apr. 1994 *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
Mick Jagger: vocals, guitar Keith Richards: rhythm and lead guitar Charlie Watts: drums Ron Wood: slide guitar, backing vocals Guest musicians: Darryl Jones (bass)
The urge to move, to leave, to put distance between yourself and the noise of the world sits at the heart of I’m Gonna Drive. It’s a song powered less by plot than by restlessness: itchy fingers, dirty shoes, and a head overheated by too much reality. The narrator isn’t chasing a destination so much as an exit. News cycles full of disasters, fires, storms, and weary faces have piled up, and the only sensible response is motion. A car becomes a refuge—fuel ready, oil checked, air-conditioning humming—because movement promises clarity. Open space offers relief where closed rooms and bad dreams do not. There’s no manifesto here, no big philosophical speech. Just a simple, stubborn decision: turn the key, press the pedal, and let the road erase the weight of everything left behind. It’s escapism, yes, but grounded, physical, and deeply human.
A song built on escape
Rather than rage against the world, I’m Gonna Drive slips past it. The lyrics don’t dwell on specific events or detailed grievances; they sketch a mood of saturation. Too much information, too many images of damage, too many reasons to stay tense. The solution is refreshingly basic: go. Driving becomes an act of self-preservation, a way to reclaim control through speed and distance. There’s something almost meditative in that idea, as if the road itself can rinse the mind clean. The song taps into a long Stones tradition of movement—cars, highways, travel as freedom—but here it’s quieter, more inward-looking. This isn’t rebellion for show; it’s retreat for survival. The protagonist isn’t trying to outrun anyone else. He’s trying to outrun his own exhaustion.
Sound, feel, and chemistry
Musically, the track leans into a relaxed but confident blues-rock groove, carrying a faint J. J. Cale-like looseness that favors feel over force. Mick Jagger delivers a vocal that sounds fully at ease inside this space, unhurried yet assured, as if the song’s calm determination suits him perfectly. The guitars tell a story of balance rather than competition. Ronnie Wood’s slide work, set to the left, glides without crowding, shaping phrases that add color and texture. Keith Richards answers on the right with a rhythm approach that breathes, leaving room for the track to expand naturally. Neither guitarist dominates; instead, they circle each other, reinforcing the song’s sense of forward motion. The result is a conversation, not a duel, and that restraint is key to the song’s understated power.
Rhythm and atmosphere
The rhythm section quietly anchors everything. From the opening snare roll, Charlie Watts establishes a swinging pulse that never wavers, pushing the song forward without ever rushing it. His playing is efficient, musical, and deeply supportive, allowing the groove to feel both steady and alive. The bass tone adds weight and warmth, sitting low in the mix and reinforcing the track’s grounded feel. Whether played by Darryl Jones or Don Was, it serves the same purpose: keep the wheels turning. Additional textures—like the Dobro that Mick appears to revisit from nearby sessions—enhance the dusty, road-worn atmosphere. Even the backing vocals, raspy and weathered, fit the theme perfectly. Nothing sounds polished for polish’s sake. Everything feels used, lived-in, and ready for another mile.
Context and afterlife
Despite its strengths I’m Gonna Drive didn’t make the final cut for Voodoo Lounge. Instead, it found life on the Out of Tears single and later in the Singles 1971–2006 box set, quietly building a reputation among listeners willing to dig deeper. Its relative obscurity only adds to its charm. This is not a centerpiece track meant to define an era; it’s a side road worth taking. For longtime fans, it also carries small historical echoes, including a nod to the people behind the scenes who helped shape the Stones’ sound. In that sense, the song mirrors its own message. You don’t always find meaning on the main highway. Sometimes it’s waiting just off the exit, engine idling, ready to go when you are.
Mick Jagger on I’m Gonna Drive (1994): “I wrote the B-side of the single Love Is Strong on demand. Don Was said, ‘Well, you know, we should have the B-sides done this week‘. It was always, like, next week we were gonna do the B-sides. And when we were there the last night in Dublin, Don said, ‘Well, we should really have done the B-sides‘. I said, ‘Well, I didn’t do any B-sides. I didn’t write any B-sides‘. He said, ‘Well, couldn’t you just go and write them? ‘This is like at the end of the 6 weeks. And I said, ‘Don, I feel, like, really tired. I do not want to write the B-sides‘. And he said, ‘Well, why can’t you just go in the corner of the cafeteria and do them?‘ I said, ‘Okay, I’ll try it‘. So I went in and wrote The Storm and the next one, which is called Jump on Top of Me, and the next one, which is called, ah… (laughs) I forget what I called it! It’s called Drivesomething – I don’t know – Ride All Night or something. I can’t remember; I changed it. But anyway, I wrote the three of them in one go. Walked in the room and just sat down and played them. And then we did them all in one take. So they were written and played all in one take. So that’s writing on demand. And then I’ll finish the lyrics up later.”
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