Rolled on out of Motown back in 91
Left them bitter winters for the Florida summer sun
Breaking hearts in theme parks
Smiled for anyone
Who held a camera to my face and said "Say cheese."
Wound up on the telly with a twinkle in my eye
The twinkle disappeared the night I started gettin' high
And everything seemed so absurd
Until the night I finally heard
The sound of Coltrane, it brought me to my knees
There's a long drive straight through the night
Starin' out the window, looking for the first signs of daylight
Just hold on tight with all of your might
You see it takes the time it takes to get it right
So I pedaled across the country wound up here in Hollywood
I left my high school sweetheart when I realized I could
And she became a movie star
I took to sleeping in my car
Still singing songs about her to this day
I drove myself to New York City chasin' love again
She moved me to tears and then I wound up movin' in
But that Apple got the best of me
So I packed up the rest of me
And I grabbed a cab said, "Straight to JFK"
There's a long drive straight through the night
Starin' out the window, looking for the first signs of daylight
Just hold on tight with all of your might
You see it takes the time it takes to get it right
Now I'm back in Hollywood, this guitar in my hand
These days I'm only using words that I can understand
Singing songs I'll carry on
Keep at it 'til I'm dead and gone
And maybe then my gravestone will say:
There's a long drive straight through the night
Starin' out the window, looking for the first signs of daylight
Just hold on tight with all of your might
You see it takes the time it takes to get it right
They say it takes the time it takes to get it right (third time's a charm)
You see it takes the time it takes to get it right