Car song
Car song | |
---|---|
Stylistic origins | 1900s: march
1950s: hot rod rock", in early 1960s, California , United States |
A car song is a song with lyrics or musical themes pertaining to car travel. Though the earliest forms appeared in the 1900s, car songs emerged in full during the 1950s as part of
Origins
In the turn of the twentieth century, the recent invention of the automobile began to appear within
Full development
The car song began to emerge in full in the burgeoning rock and roll scene in the early 1950s. Jackie Brenston had a hit with "Rocket 88", attributed to Ike Turner, praising the Oldsmobile Rocket 88.[4] Among the best known of the genre were "Hot Rod Race" by Arkie Shibley and His Mountain Dew Boys and the answer song "Hot Rod Lincoln" by Charlie Ryan. Although the Johnny Mercer song "Skylark" was actually released in 1942, it became the inspiration for the Buick Skylark that debuted in 1953.[citation needed] Many 1950s songs could serve as soundtracks to play in one's car when approaching a drive-in restaurant or meeting someone. "Walk Don't Run" by the Ventures, "Rumble" by Link Wray, or "Sleep Walk" by Santo & Johnny could all serve a slow entrance, "Let's Go for a Ride" by the Collegians, "You Can't Catch Me" by Chuck Berry, or "Rebel-'Rouser" by Duane Eddy worked for a more speedy approach, and "No Particular Place to Go" by Chuck Berry worked for all situations.[5] Many groups emerged that took their names from car brands: the Impalas, the El Dorados, the Cadillacs, the Fleetwoods, the Starfires, the Rivieras, Little Anthony and the Imperials, among numerous others.[5]
Hot rod rock
The muscle car craze, as well as the surge of interest in sports car racing, brought several cars referencing performance cars. The Beach Boys, already a highly successful rock band, tapped into the California cruising and drag racing culture, spearheading a short-lived rock music craze commonly referred to as "hot rod rock".[6][7][4] Author Geoffrey Himes wrote "The music was only subtly different [from surf music]".[8] According to The Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary by Jeff Breitenstein:
While cars and, to a lesser degree, hot rods have been a relatively common and enduring theme in American popular music, the term hot rod music is most often associated with the unique 'California sound' music of the early to mid-1960s ... and was defined by its rich vocal harmonies, amplified (generally Fender brand) electric guitars, and youth-oriented lyrics (most often celebrating hot rods and, more broadly, surfing and 'girls'.[9]
From 1961 to 1965, some fifteen hundred car songs were recorded.
Some of the most popular car/motorcycle songs to emerge in this era include:
- "Stick Shift" (1961) by the Duals[11]
- "409" (1962) by the Beach Boys[4][12]
- "Little Deuce Coupe" (1963) by the Beach Boys[4]
- "Shut Down" (1963) by the Beach Boys[7][13]
- "Drag City" (1963) by Jan and Dean[13]
- "Fun, Fun, Fun" (1964) by the Beach Boys[13]
- "I Get Around" (1964) by the Beach Boys[14]
- "Don't Worry Baby" (1964) by the Beach Boys[14]
- "Little Honda" (1964) by the Beach Boys, covered by the Hondells (also in 1964)[7][13]
- "Custom Machine" (1963) by the Beach Boys, popularized by Bruce and Terry (1964)[13]
- "Dead Man's Curve" (1964) by Jan and Dean[7][10][13]
- "
- "The Anaheim, Azusa & Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review and Timing Association" (1964) by Jan and Dean[10]
- "G.T.O." (1964) by Ronny and the Daytonas[13]
- "Bucket 'T'" (1964) by Ronny and the Daytonas[13]
- "Three Window Coupe" (1964) by the Rip Chords[13]
Later years
After the hot rod music period ended by the mid-1960s, car songs, though still frequent, did not enjoy the same level of popularity. Some key songs that have emerged since that era include the following:
- "Born to Be Wild" (1968) by Steppenwolf[14]
- "Going Mobile" (1971) by the Who[14]
- "Highway Star" (1972) by Deep Purple
- "Rockin' Down the Highway" (1972) by the Doobie Brothers
- "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" (1972) by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- "Motorcycle Mama" (1972) by Sailcat
- "Silver Machine" (1972) by Hawkwind
- "Autobahn" (1975) by Kraftwerk
- "War
- "Queen
- "(I Live For) Cars and Girls" (1975) by The Dictators
- "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (1977) by Meat Loaf
- "Cars" (1979) by Gary Numan[15]
- "Trans Am (Highway Wonderland)" (1979) by Sammy Hagar
- "Warm Leatherette" (1980) by Grace Jones[16]
- "Pull Up to the Bumper" (1981) by Grace Jones[16]
- "Heading Out to the Highway" (1981) by Judas Priest[14]
- "Little Red Corvette" (1982) by Prince[16]
- "Panama" (1984) by Van Halen
- "Pink Cadillac" (1984) by Bruce Springsteen, covered by Natalie Cole (1988)[16]
- "Rebel Without a Clue" (1986) by Bonnie Tyler
- "Rover 90" (2013) by Judge Smith[17]
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-472-41146-4.
- ^ Telgen 2006, p. 238.
- ^ Jackson 1985, p. 158.
- ^ a b c d Ferrandino 2015, p. 149.
- ^ a b c d e DeWitt 2001, p. 44.
- ^ Blair & McParland 1990, p. xiv.
- ^ a b c d e Shuker 2012, p. 279.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey. "Surf Music" (PDF). teachrock.org. Rock and Roll: An American History. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2015.
- ^ Breitenstein, p. 107.
- ^ a b c d Alexander 1964, p. 33.
- ^ Bundy 1961, p. 12.
- ^ Shuker 2012, p. 279-280.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hoffmann & Bailey 1990, p. 61.
- ^ a b c d e Cateforis 2011, p. 174.
- ^ Cateforis 2011, p. 173-181.
- ^ a b c d Walker 2009, p. 171.
- ^ Judge Smith. "Zoot Suit – Tracklist and notes". Retrieved June 27, 2023.
Bibliography
- Alexander, Shana (November 6, 1964). Stolley, Dick (ed.). "Love songs to the carburetor". ISSN 0024-3019.
- Blair, John; McParland, Stephen J. (1990). The illustrated discography of hot rod music, 1961-1965. ISBN 9781560750024.
- Breitenstein, Jeff. Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary: A-Bombs to Zoomies. MotorBooks International. ISBN 978-1-61059-235-2.
- Bundy, June, ed. (October 23, 1961). "Artists' Biographies". ISSN 0006-2510.
- Cateforis, Theo (2011). Are We Not New Wave?: Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s. Ann Arbor: ISBN 9780472034703.
- Walker, Clinton (2009). Golden Miles: Sex, Speed and the Australian Muscle Car. Adelaide: ISBN 9781862548541.
- DeWitt, John (2001). Cool Cars, High Art: The Rise of Kustum Kulture. Jackson: ISBN 9781604737752.
- Ferrandino, David (2015). Turner, Katherine L. (ed.). This is the Sound of Irony: Music, Politics and Popular Culture. Farnham: ISBN 9781472442611.
- Hoffmann, Frank W.; Bailey, William G. (1990). Arts & Entertainment Fads, Volume 1. Binghamton: Haworth Press. pp. 61–62. ISBN 9780866568814.
- ISBN 0-19-504983-7.
- Shuker, Roy (2012). Horn, David; Shepherd, John (eds.). Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World. Vol. 8. New York; London: ISBN 9781441148742.
- Telgen, Diane (2006). Hillstrom, Kevin; Hillstrom, Laurie Collier (eds.). "Gilded Age Art and Literature". Automobiles, Mining and Petroleum, Textiles. Santa Barbara: ISBN 9781851097494.