What's Your Favorite Car Song?

[Mikie]

I like Car Crazie Cutie, but I really like Pamela Jean more than Car Crazy Cutie.  PJ shoulda been a hit.

[NHC]

This Car of Mine.  Right.  Forgot to include that one. 

[Phoenix]

Don't Worry Baby


I'm In Love With My Car

[RangeRoverA1]

Dead Man's Curve

I immediately liked this song when I heard that detective intro. It's catchy & fun! Definitely in my Top-3 of Jan & Dean, along with their version of "Where Were You When I Needed You" & "The Best Friend I Ever Had".

Anyway, list of car faves by The BBs: Our Car Club, Cherry Cherry Coupe (if only for Mike's bass lines), Custom Machine (terrific group harmonies!), This Car of Mine, 409, Drive-In, In My Car, I Get Around, Honkin' Down The Highway, Still Cruisin', Little GTO (very entertaining!), Fun Fun Fun, Spirit of America.

Other artists: The Rip Chords' Hot Rod USA (one of my ultimate faves by the band); Goin' Out West, Ol' 55 by Tom Waits; Ridin' In My Car by NRBQ; The RS live cover of Route 66; Long Tall Sally by Little Richard; Terraplane Blues by Robert Johnson (nothing can beat the original imo, other renditions are tame).

[AndrewHickey]

Dead Man's Curve

I immediately liked this song when I heard that detective intro. It's catchy & fun! Definitely in my Top-3 of Jan & Dean, along with their version of "Where Were You When I Needed You" & "The Best Friend I Ever Had".

Anyway, list of car faves by The BBs: Our Car Club, Cherry Cherry Coupe (if only for Mike's bass lines), Custom Machine (terrific group harmonies!), This Car of Mine, 409, Drive-In, In My Car, I Get Around, Honkin' Down The Highway, Still Cruisin', Little GTO (very entertaining!), Fun Fun Fun, Spirit of America.

Other artists: The Rip Chords' Hot Rod USA (one of my ultimate faves by the band); Goin' Out West, Ol' 55 by Tom Waits; Ridin' In My Car by NRBQ; The RS live cover of Route 66; Long Tall Sally by Little Richard; Terraplane Blues by Robert Johnson (nothing can beat the original imo, other renditions are tame).

Little GTO isn't a Beach Boys song, and Long Tall Sally isn't a car song.

[RangeRoverA1]

Little GTO isn't a Beach Boys song.

I know, just expressed my fondness of namely The BBs' version. As for "... Sally", well, I thought the name referred to the narrator's car. Seems like I was wrong now. Thanks for correction, Mr. Hickey!

[AndrewHickey]

Little GTO isn't a Beach Boys song.

I know, just expressed my fondness of namely The BBs' version. As for "... Sally", well, I thought the name referred to the narrator's car. Seems like I was wrong now. Thanks for correction, Mr. Hickey!

Very far from it -- "Long Tall Sally" is a trans* prostitute...

[RangeRoverA1]

What about Shut Down Part II? (Which, incidentally, is a great little catchy instrumental. I've loved it from the first listen!)

(Can't believe I missed this comment.) I totally agree with you, Disney Boy, Shut Down-2 is indeed great! Good to see I'm not alone on enjoying it. If anything, I never really understood why it's constantly being ignored while Moon Dawg receives much praise around fans. I mean, just listen to those tremolo effects & reverb! Carl really nailed the surf guitar! Plus, the backwards countdown by Mike is a cool start. So yes, I don't get what's special about Moon Dawg. Imo it just goes on forever, without any changes. Boring tune.

[BergenWhitesMoustache]

1/ If my car could only talk- Lou Christie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoyJKCBUlSU

2/ Bucket T- Jan and Dean

Don't really feel too strongly about any of The BB car songs...like them all equally, but these two have been non stop, weeks long earworms.

[scooby1970]

1. "School Is A/Gas" - The Wheelmen
2. Jan & Dean - Dead Man's Curve
3. The Super Stocks - Hot Rod High
4. The Rip Chords - Hot Rod USA
5. The Beach Boys - Shut Down

Mark

[leggo of my ego]

I Cant Drive 55 - Sammy Hagar

or how about My Mother the Car - teevee theme 

[silodweller]

Absolutely "The Ballad Of Ole Betsy"...  That acapella at the end is out of this world. 

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

Wilco- Passenger Side
Audioslave- Getaway Car

[JimC1702]

"Betsy"                   Beach Boys
"Hot Stocker"         Jan & Dean
"Mighty GTO           Jan & Dean
"Custom Machine" Beach Boys
"Car Crazy Cutie"  Beach Boys

[SonoraDick]

For pure fun (and because it hasn't been mentioned), I really like "Gas Money", the Rip Chords' version. I get a kick every time I hear the spoken "I need some gas money" (Terry Melcher, I think???) that comes from out of nowhere after the instrumental. (I also like, but not nearly as much, The Turtles' version... mainly because I can just picture Mark Volman going bonkers on stage performing it.)

But my favorite is easy... "Dead Man's Curve".  Jan's greatest production.     

[Wah Wah Wah Ooooo]

Fun, Fun, Fun
Little Honda
Little Deuce Coupe
Hey Little Cobra
Shut Down
Custom Machine
Drag City
Little Old Lady From Pasadena
Our Car Club
409

[RangeRoverA1]

For pure fun (and because it hasn't been mentioned), I really like "Gas Money", the Rip Chords' version.

Wow, I can't believe I didn't mention GM in my original list! It 's indeed total fun & Terry did great performance! I like those delicate high piano notes heard at the background, behind the electric & bass guitars. Plus, as someone who isn't mostly fond of the saxophone, I'll say that here it sounds nifty - one of the best solos, in fact (another such example - The BBs' Transcendental Meditation).

Additionally, I agree with you re Dead Man's Curve - it's definitely a top-notcher & easily my all-time favorite Jan & Dean song! I often end up listening only to this gem when play their catalog.

[FUN³]

i have 2

back seat '38 dodge - opus 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT51lpRKDp0

rolling through the city - guru guru
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez_0RSjkmK8

[Jim V.]

Favorite Beach Boys car songs....probably "Don't Worry Baby" and "Little Deuce Coupe".

Favorite by others (namely Jan & Dean), probably "Dead Man's Curve" and "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena".

[Dudd]

Recently listened to Autobahn by Kraftwerk... bloody brilliant car song. Easily the best for me!

[JK]

Anyone recall a 1980s song called something like Every Guy's Got to Have An Automobile by the Stickshifters? Never been able to track a copy down…

John, did you ever locate this? I found a Ry Cooder song called "Crazy 'Bout An Automobile (Every Woman I Know)":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyQC0F3ec9w

First I thought there might be an "answer song" to it but as far as I can see there isn't.

The Stickshifters connection has me entirely stumped! Little Village, a band Cooder was in, is the closest I could get. And they used to do a live version of that song:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B015LOP0CM?ie=UTF8&ref_=dm_ws_tlw_trk6



   

[JK]

As for car songs, the entire LDC album gets my vote. Every one a winner!

Others unmentioned until now (possibly) are War's "Low Rider"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xTGrfs5TXM

...and Chuck Berry's "Maybellene":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjrQWU2EcsA

Classics both.

[Outtasight!]

Desert Drive, Our Car Club, This Car of Mine. Springsteen's Pink Cadillac, McCartney's Helen Wheels, Elvis' Long Black Limousine, The Kinks Drivin', more will pop into my head later.

[Bill30022]

"Roadrunner"  by the  Modern Lovers - I grew up in suburban Boston so I relate to the song and the song's un-ironic celebration of suburbia is almost subursive.

[Summertime Blooz]

If 'Vehicle' by The Ides of March qualifies as a car song, I'd say that's my favorite. Those horns are awesome.