Driven Lyrics
Thick blood inside a flower.
A beast who preys on love,
Love?
The need is there.
It supersedes the care.
Driving the flesh to merge this urge.
It's come to killing.
The reckless ones who need fulfilling.
Anything for a laugh,
Laugh.
A senseless murder.
You meant to love but found you hurt her.
Only in death will she forget.
Doesn't matter much.
Everyone is out of touch.
And no one wants to learn.
What I'm talking about is a city full of fear and doubt
And I'd like to see it burn.
She moves his hand.
He has a larger plan.
He thinks she'll like it in the end,
The end.
It was the screaming.
A part of her got too close.
The kind of truth that hurts the most.
I understand it.
A drowning man grabs all he can.
Just tell it to her friend,
Friend.
Hunger moves us.
It makes us kill and then it soothes us.
Some call it a right.
I call it a wrong.
"driven" (and, also on 'unfun,' "seethruskin") was one of a spate of anti-rape/anti-pornography/anti-objectification-of-women songs that post-punk bands all seemed to be writing around the same time in the late '80s. another example is fugazi's "suggestion," released in 1988 on the 'fugazi' ep, which could be considered the template. a reaction to the testosterone overload of second-wave hardcore (cf. washington d.c.'s revolution summer)? a statement of solidarity with the nascent riot grrrl movement beginning to cohere around bands like bikini kill and bratmobile? an honest attempt by awkward, culturally aware teenage boys to navigate the tricky terrain of sexuality in a conscientious way (see also "want," the aforementioned "seethruskin," the entire early green day discography...)? all of the above, probably.
sounds like this song is about a rape/murder. i like how he ends it, "i call it a wrong", yet he goes into all the logic of someone who would do something like that, even saying he understands. its kinda cool how he can see both sides, but definetly good he thinks its wrong (otherwise it would be creepy)
1 comment? unfun is underrated.