Dominance & Submission

The lyrics describe a strange, repeated nighttime experience that seems to move from 1963 into 1964. The speaker is taken for a ride by Susan and Charles, while radio music and the changing year create a sense of excitement and unease. The repeated refrain grows more intense, making the scene feel less like an ordinary memory and more like a ritual or dream.

Several images suggest being caught between control and surrender. The “back seat” places the speaker in a passive position, while the others decide where to go. “Midnight” and the New Year’s Eve “final barrier” mark a threshold: one period ends and another begins. The radio, records, and references to “revolution” connect the ride with a restless, changing atmosphere, though the lyrics do not explain exactly what that change means.

“Dominance” and “submission” can describe a struggle over who has power, but the song leaves unclear whether this is frightening, playful, sexual, or symbolic. Charles’s greedy look and the covered eyes create an unsettling tone, while the energetic music and repeated “Oh Yeah!” add excitement. The lyrics may be presenting a troubling fantasy or a surreal scene rather than a clear story; their ambiguity is part of the effect.