Who’s gonna pick you up when you fall?
Who’s gonna hang it up when you call?
Who’s gonna pay attention to your dreams?
Yeah, who’s gonna plug their ears when you scream?

You can’t go on, thinking nothing’s wrong, but now
Who’s gonna drive you home tonight?

Who’s gonna hold you down when you shake?
Who’s gonna come around when you break?

You can’t go on, thinking nothing’s wrong, but now
Who’s gonna drive you home tonight?

– “Drive,” The Cars

I hope everyone is doing okay. It’s a long weekend here in the United States, so I’ve got a little extra time to write and ruminate…I figured I might as well write a blog post!

It physically pains me to call this one an “oldie,” but given that this week’s Submissive Song Sunday is more than 40 years old, I suppose it qualifies. Sighhh… Folks, for this installment, I give you “Drive” by The Cars, incidentally one of my favorite songs of all time.

There’s heartbreak, there’s loss, there’s melancholy, there’s pain… Every last note can crush you with its weight and take your breath away. And, while I don’t think Ric Ocasek had D/s in mind when he wrote this song, the lyrics “Who’s gonna hold you down when you shake? / Who’s gonna come around when you break?” have always held a special energy for me and my submission. The notion that someone would be strong enough to hold me through my struggles and keep holding me even when I’m at my worst? Incredible.

But the whole premise of this song is based on a series of questions, open-ended questions that only she can answer. Ultimately, she’s the one—submissive or not—who has to find her path forward. Most classic love songs have a narrative arc that drives toward redemption, toward understanding, toward togetherness. Yet here, we’re left with questions that only the strongest of submissives can dare to answer.

So, who’s gonna drive you home tonight?