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Welcome back riffers! In today’s post, we will learn how to play Incubus’ hit called “Drive”.

The American rock band Incubus comes from Southern California and was formed in 1991 when the members were still in high school. Brand Boyd is the lead vocalist with Jose Pasillas as drummer and Mike Einziger was the lead guitarist of the Incubus.

The 1999 album Make Yourself was the first hit that brought the band into the mainstream and their next Morning View was more successful.

The song Drive comes from the album Make Yourself which was the first mainstream hit for the band Incubus. The album was their third release but it was the first that made them famous among the audience. Other hit songs from the album include Pardon Me and Stellar which boosted the album sales better. Make Yourself reached the top three position of the Billboard and has successfully gone double platinum in the United States.

The song Drive by Incubus allowed them to become a known group in the mainstream music industry. It was their first composition that displayed their song writing skills and the success of the song paved way for their next album.

How to Play Drive By Incubus

A strong guitar riff and the acoustic elements found in the Drive made it popular among the audience and it inspired other bands to play it in different ways. There are acoustic and electric versions as well as remixes of the same song which made Incubus more popular.

Learn the Guitar Chords to Play Drive

The major chords used in the song are A7 open variation 2, Cmaj7 open variation 2, Em7 open variation 3 and Em9 open. The song has been split into chunks to make it easy to learn and play on a guitar.

Incubus - Drive

Intro:

Em - G - C - Am   x4

Verse:

Em     G        C                Am
   Sometimes, I feel the fear of
     Em        G              C  Am
   uncertainty stinging clear.
Em     G       C              Am
   And I can't help but ask myself
                 Em           G                  C     Am
   how much I'll let the fear take the wheel and steer

Pre-chorus:

C                   A                            C
   It's driven me before, and it seems to have a vague,
   A
   haunting mass appeal
C             A                          C
   But lately I'm beginning to find that I
                 A
   should be the one behind the wheel.

Chorus:

Em     G       C     Am           Em       G
   Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
             C             Am
   with open arms and open eyes, yeah
Em     G       C     Am           Em       G
   Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
        C        Am
   I'll be there

Verse:

Em       G   C              Am           Em       G         C  Am
   So if I decide to waiver my chance to be one of the hive
Em      G        C          Am               Em             G  C  Am
   will I choose water over wine and hold my own and drive?

Pre-chorus:

C                   A                           C
   It's driven me before and it seems to be the way
             A
   that everyone else gets around
C             A                          C
   But lately I'm beginning to find that when
             A
   I drive myself my light is found

Chorus:

Em     G       C     Am           Em       G
   Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
             C             Am
   with open arms and open eyes, yeah
Em     G       C     Am           Em       G
   Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
        C        Am
   I'll be there

Interlude:

Em - G - C - Am   x4

Pre-chorus:

C            A                 C        A                         A (hold)
   Would you choose water over wine.... hold the wheel and drive?

Chorus:

Em     G       C     Am           Em       G
   Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
             C             Am
   with open arms and open eyes, yeah
Em     G       C     Am           Em       G
   Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
        C        Am
   I'll be there

Outro:

Em - G - C - Am   x4

C - C - A

Why We Say Drive by Incubus Is An Excellent Song?

1. The song Drive has a very strong guitar riff and sounds cool.
2. It got widely popular for its memorable guitar sound and the strong lyrics by the band made it a hit.
3. The lyrics became an instant hit with contemporary audience.

Why We Say Drive Is A Great Song To Learn And Classified as ‘Medium’?

The strong and excellent guitar riff which is a part of the song Drive makes it a favourite among learners. It can be played in different forms as unplugged, electric or live as the guitarist likes. The chord shapes are easy to learn and the rhythm is simple to play.