Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: folk
Song Meaning of “Driveway Melody” by Rayland Baxter
Rayland Baxter’s ‘Driveway Melody’ is a song about a young man who is arriving home from a day spent away, with all the memories and feelings he has experienced now running through his head. The story is told from the perspective of someone who has known him for the majority of his life, so perhaps this is a father who is watching him grow up day by day.
The song opens up with the narrator explaining how they watched him growing up, waiting for the day he would finally spread his wings and fly away. He spent long afternoons playing in the driveway and the melody of his laughter has lingered on over the years, acting as a reminder of the happy times they shared together.
Now that the young man is grown, he has recently gone off on a journey to explore the world and find himself. The chorus reflects the hopefulness of the narrator, who imaginatively wonders what he has seen and the dreams that he might have created:
“Where have you been, my grown up friend?/ What would you tell me if I could hear you sing?/ Is it a brand new song about a love won and gone/ Or did you rise above where your wings have flown?”
The second verse builds into a plea from the narrator to the young man as he continues his journey, hoping that he takes all the lessons he has learnt and puts them to good use, supported with the line “Take the paths that you choose and May you ever open hearts with your voice”.
In the bridge, we bear witness to the narrator’s pride as the young man is nearing the end of his journey, now returning home after a day away and coming back with a new melody in his head, ready to share his knowledge with the world.
The song closes with the same melody the young man used to play in his family’s driveway as a child, acting as a reminder of how far he has come, the person he used to be, and the future that still awaits him.
‘Driveway Melody’ is a stunning ballad that celebrates growing up and the music of life that our loved ones bring us, while also paying homage to the comfort we find when coming home.