Every Halloween, Driveways graces us with a new song. This year, we were gifted with “Ghost of a Smile.” The track, a tale of heartbreak and lingering memories, is a captivating blend of pop-punk energy with emotionally charged lyrics. Lines like “my head is flooded with visions I can’t escape / ghost of a smile that disappeared from your face last night” help paint the picture of longing and a struggle to move on.
The track opens with a haunting intro followed by an energetic guitar riff. With lyrics like, "I should’ve let this go / I kept your ghost / It left me hopeless," "Ghost of a Smile" is full of emotions that we've all surely felt at some point. The momentum continues onward until around 2:20, when the sound fades a bit to minimal instrumentation before building back up to the heavy breakdown:
"You can't disguise / Resentment beneath / Abysmal eyes / The depths of deceit"
“Ghost of a Smile” truly showcases the band's recent growth while staying true to their signature pop-punk/post-hardcore sound. Their latest EP will be released on November 22nd and, if the latest singles are any indication, the best is yet to come for Driveways.
LYRICS
My head is flooded with visions I can’t escape
Ghosts of a smile that disappeared from your face last night
Subtle and difficult to explain
Spoke for a while but I could see the disdain you hide
It’s burning up inside you
I couldn’t decide if I’d just been lied to
Bled dry by the cuts your knife drew
What sleeps underneath those eyes
I gave a switchblade to a stone cold killer
Halloween night can decide if I live or die
Kept faith in a full blown sinner
Devil inside couldn’t hide unforgiving eyes
Downed power lines on the pavement
The door’s open wide to the basement
The storms in the sky let the rage in
I knew you’d embrace it
I knew that you’d take me down
The streets are covered in colors I can’t forget
The decorations are sullen under the cold black night
Running from something I still regret
The words you hated could summon thunder to stoke the sky
A turn of phrase unspoken
I’ll never escape from the hate you hold in
Dark shapes on a vacant ocean
Ghosts beneath the tide
I gave a switchblade to a stone cold killer
Halloween night can decide if I live or die
Kept faith in a full blown sinner
Devil inside couldn’t hide unforgiving eyes
Downed power lines on the pavement
The door’s open wide to the basement
The storms in the sky let the rage in
I knew you’d embrace it
I knew that you’d take me down
I should’ve let this go
I kept your ghost
It left me hopeless
I hope I’m swept below
This tempest grows
You can't disguise
Resentment beneath
Abysmal eyes
The depths of deceit
I gave a switchblade to a stone cold killer
Halloween night can decide if I live or die
Kept faith in a full blown sinner
Devil inside couldn’t hide unforgiving eyes
