Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: folk
Song Meaning of “Midnight on the Interstate” by Trampled by Turtles
Midnight on the Interstate by Trampled by Turtles is a hauntingly beautiful song about the drudgery of everyday life and modern loneliness. The narrator begins the song with a comforting image of listening to the hum of tires on the open road, but this picture of freedom quickly fades away as the speaker comes to terms with his longing for human connection.
He longs to turn around and see the “happy lights of home” but his passionless life keeps him driving on. The overwhelming sense of solitude and listlessness causes him to wander aimlessly around the lonely roads of the interstate.
The narrator’s exhaustion and desperation become evident in the lines, “Sometimes I drift off to the dark/ I don’t know where I am or how far I’ve gone/Sometimes I just keep driving on and on”. He is en route to some unknown destination, with no one to share his journey.
The chorus of the song repeats the mantra, “It’s midnight on the interstate”, conveying the feeling of endless hours spent alone on the road, with nothing but the flickering scenery keeping him company. The lyrics evoke a strong sense of loneliness, but also have a comforting undertone.
Ultimately, the song speaks of resignation, of coming to terms with the loneliness of modern life. Though the loneliness of the interstate can be overwhelming, the narrator finds solace in the fact that he’s not alone in his plight. There is a power and a beauty in the shared nature of the human experience, and this ultimately brings him a measure of peace.