Music Blog

Driving All Night

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Today at Song Lyric Sunday the theme is to choose a song beginning
with the same letter as my last name, which is R. Here is my feature.

Before you could send a text or call someone in their car, there was no way to communicate with a driver unless you had a certain telepathic love that could convey from a distance your desire to be with that person, something you might call – oh, I don’t know – maybe something like radar love.

In the song “Radar Love”, the MC has been driving all night but keeps pushing the pedal because he just knows that his baby wants him home. In his rush to be with her, he drives recklessly and dies in a car accident. Tragic, isn’t it? But perhaps all is not lost, as the song suggests …. the MC and his lover continue to have a radar love connection in the afterlife.

“Radar Love” was written in 1973 by the Dutch group, Golden Earring. Members at the time were lead vocalist Barry Hay, bass and keyboardist Rinus Gerritsen, Cesar Zuiderwijk on drums & percussion and George Kooymans, vocals and lead guitar. The single version reached #9 on the Record World chart, #10 on Cash Box and #13 on Billboard in the US. It hit the Top 10 in many countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Spain.

Like other famous songs of the era such as “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Stairway To Heaven”, “Radar Love” was composed as a suite with several distinctive and quite different sections. According to radar-love.net, the song has been covered more than 500 times.

This is “Radar Love” by Golden Earring

LYRICS

I’ve been drivin’ all night, my hand’s wet on the wheel

There’s a voice in my head that drives my heel

It’s my baby callin’, says I need you here

And it’s a half past four and I’m shiftin’ gear

When she is lonely and the longing gets too much

She sends a cable comin’ in from above

Don’t need no phone at all

We’ve got a thing that’s called radar love

We’ve got a wave in the air, radar love

The radio is playing some forgotten song

Brenda Lee’s “Coming On Strong”

The road has got me hypnotized

And I’m speedin’ into a new sunrise

When I get lonely and I’m sure I’ve had enough

She sends her comfort comin’ in from above

We don’t need no letter at all

We’ve got a thing that’s called radar love

We’ve got a light in the sky, radar love

No more speed, I’m almost there

Gotta keep cool now, gotta take care

Last car to pass, here I go

And the line of cars drove down real slow

And the radio played that forgotten song

Brenda Lee’s “Coming On Strong”

And the newsman sang his same song

Oh one more radar lover gone

When I get lonely and I’m sure I’ve had enough

She sends her comfort comin’ in from above

We don’t need no letter at all

We’ve got a thing that’s called radar love

We’ve got a light in the sky

We’ve got a thing that’s called radar love

We’ve got a thing that’s called radar love

Writers: Barry Hay, George Kooymans
Publishers: Lyrics©Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Common to All Members of a Family

Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week. Be sure to check out Jim’s site.

Thanks for stopping by. See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2024

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and is not for use by anyone without permission. NAR©2017-present.

39 thoughts on “Driving All Night”

  1. The group photo looks like the cast of Goodfellas or Reservoir Dogs. This song really brings back memories for me spending time in Florida when this song came out and was being played all the time and everyone I cared for were back here.

    Thank you for sharing the long version.

    (This is the first time I’ve actually read the lyrics. I just sang along whatever gibberish words I thought I was hearing!)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. The guy on the left reminded me of Joe Pesci; I couldn’t resist!

      It sounds like you had some great times and even greater friends in Florida. It’s said every picture tells a story; I think every song does, too … intimate stories of our lives.

      With a song like this playing the long version is a must; the alternative is like kissing your sister.

      Nice to ‘see’ you again, Fishman.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  4. Really great song I’ve liked every time I’ve heard it. Until today though, from your commentary, I didn’t know what it was about. I just thought it was about some guy racing to outrun the cops and their radar. … I like the real deal better. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. You’re right … the live version is epic and I would have loved going with one of them. They’re just a bit long and don’t always follow the lyrics so I chose not to.

      This is one song that needs to be played LOUD!

      Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much, Clive!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. One of those great classics from our era, and thank you for sharing the amazing lyrics, Nancy … You might appreciate this Aussie epic, by Stevie Wright (Eastbeats), Evie, Parts, 1, 2, & 3 … 1974.

    Liked by 1 person

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