Cars, Music and Other Things

by Mike Gulett –

I love music, especially when it reminds me of experiences I have had and people I know, or have known. There are a few songs that have cars as a theme, some are about specific cars and some are just the thought of the car and what it does for the people who drive it.

The 10 songs listed below span six decades and many music genres—each using cars to reflect larger human themes: freedom, rebellion, longing, control, and identity.

Both literal and metaphorical, the car in music continues to be a powerful symbol of the physical and emotional road we travel.

What do you think about this list? It could have included “Hot Rod Lincoln” by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, “409” by The Beach Boys, maybe “Deadman’s Curve” by Jan & Dean and a few others.

Let us know what other songs you think should have been included here.

1. “Little Deuce Coupe” – The Beach Boys (1963)

Car Featured: 1932 Ford Coupe

The Beach Boys, synonymous with California car and surf culture, turned this song into a celebration of hot rod customization and youth rebellion. The “Deuce Coupe” was a 1932 Ford that became an icon in hot rodding.

The lyrics praise its performance—“She’s my little deuce coupe / You don’t know what I got”—highlighting how the car defines identity and social standing. The song was also notable for making car enthusiasm a key theme in pop music.

2. “Mustang Sally” – Wilson Pickett (1966)

Car Featured: Ford Mustang

Originally written by Mack Rice, the song took on new life through Wilson Pickett’s performance. The Ford Mustang, introduced in 1964, represented freedom, style, and youth. “Mustang Sally” flips the typical narrative: it’s not about a man and his car, but a woman (“Sally”) who takes control, cruising around town on her own. With lines like “You better slow that Mustang down,” it’s part warning, part admiration. It’s a cultural milestone that gave the car a gendered, liberated identity.

3. “Drive My Car” – The Beatles (1965)

Car Featured: not specified

This cheeky and clever song features a woman offering a man a job as her chauffeur—only to later admit she doesn’t actually have a car. The car serves as a metaphor for ambition and role reversal. The woman in control challenges the era’s traditional gender dynamics. Musically upbeat with a bluesy groove, it marked a growing complexity in The Beatles’ songwriting, using humor and innuendo to explore deeper social themes.

4. “Radar Love” – Golden Earring (1973)

Car Featured: not specified

This song paints the vivid image of a man driving all night to reach his lover, guided by an almost psychic connection—“I’ve got a feeling in my heart / Radar love.” It’s filled with kinetic energy and classic rock bravado, bolstered by pounding drums and a driving guitar riff. The car here is romanticized as a tool of emotional urgency and freedom, capturing the allure of the open road and the recklessness of love-fueled travel.

5. “Cars” – Gary Numan (1979)

Car Featured: not specified

One of the earliest synth-pop hits, “Cars” uses minimal lyrics and a futuristic soundscape to evoke emotional detachment. “Here in my car / I feel safest of all” speaks to a society growing increasingly anxious and disconnected. The car isn’t glamorous or fast—it’s a mobile isolation unit, a metaphor for psychological defense mechanisms. It struck a nerve with listeners facing similar anxieties in an impersonal world.

6. “I Can’t Drive 55” – Sammy Hagar (1984)

Car Featured: not specified

This song became an anthem for gearheads and speed freaks who hated the U.S. national 55 mph speed limit. Hagar’s explosive vocals and blazing guitar express pure frustration with government regulation: “Go on and write me up for 125 / Post my face, wanted dead or alive.” The car here is freedom incarnate, and any effort to limit it is tyranny. It’s less about the specific car and more about the idea of driving fast as personal liberty.

7. “Panama” – Van Halen (1984)

Car Featured: Drag Racing Car Named “Panama”

Eddie Van Halen actually wrote this song about a real race car after a journalist accused the band of only singing about “women, partying, and fast cars.” The result? A song that combines all three. The engine rev heard in the bridge is a real recording of Eddie’s own Lamborghini Miura. “Panama” is raw, loud, and full of innuendo, with the car representing both speed and sexuality. It’s one of the most iconic car-themed hard rock tracks ever recorded.

8. “Mercedes Benz” – Janis Joplin (1971)

Car Featured: Mercedes-Benz

This a cappella performance is more satirical prayer than song. “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz,” Joplin sings, highlighting the absurdity of measuring success through material possessions. Ironically, the song became associated with the luxury brand itself, even though it critiques consumer culture. Joplin mocks how people tie happiness to cars, positioning herself asking God for validation through brands.

9. “Fast Car” – Tracy Chapman (1988)

Car Featured: not specified

Chapman’s poignant ballad uses the car as a symbol of escape from poverty and hardship. The narrator dreams of a better life, using the car to leave behind a broken home. But as the story unfolds, the car becomes a reminder of cycles that are hard to break—“You got a fast car / Is it fast enough so we can fly away?” The vehicle is never named; it’s not about the machine but what it represents: the fragile hope for freedom that doesn’t always pan out.

10. “Drive” – The Cars (1984)

Car Featured: not specified

“Drive” isn’t literally about a car—it uses “driving” as a metaphor for control in relationships. The song deals with someone watching a loved one spiral out of control—“Who’s gonna drive you home tonight?” The car metaphor functions on an emotional level: who will guide you, protect you, or keep you steady? It’s melancholic and introspective, showcasing a softer side of a band named after automobiles.

Let us know what you think in the Comments.

Research and some text by ChatGPT 40.