20 essential songs about cars

Shania Twain’s 2002 track “In My Car (I’ll Be the Driver)” details dealing with compromises in a relationship. As Twain puts it, she has no problem with her partner changing the TV channel or choosing which food to order, but when it comes to her car, she’s not compromising. As she sings on the hook, “But in my car, I’ll be the driver / I’m in car, I’m in control.” 

Rihanna’s 2007 single “Shut Up and Drive” may have some allusions to cars like a ‘57 Cadillac, but the song isn’t actually about cars. Instead of referencing someone who can handle driving a fly ride, she wants to know if someone can handle her body intimately. As she sings on the hook, “Get you where you wanna go, if you know what I mean / Got a ride that’s smoother than a limousine / Can you handle the curves? Can you run all the lights? / If you can, baby boy, then we can go all night.” 

Funk band War arguably has one of the most recognizable songs about cars with their 1975 hit “Low Rider.” The song gives the cool and laidback image in reference to the Chicano culture of driving hydraulic hot rods. 

Although The Beatles’ 1965 track “Drive My Car” may sound like a song about someone looking for chauffeur services, in actuality, the song is about being intimate with a partner. As they sing on the hook, “Baby, you can drive my car / And maybe I’ll love you.”

When people hear Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally,” it sounds like the perfect track to listen to in the classic Ford model. On the track, Pickett describes a woman named Sally who gets a Mustang and rightfully drives it all over town for everyone to see. 

In 2005, Rascal Flatts released their cover of John Denver’s hit song “Life Is A Highway.” The band’s version was featured on the soundtrack of the Pixar animated film Cars. The song is about how life can take people on a trip, and it’s important for people to ride it like a car. 

On Nelly’s 2000 single “Ride Wit Me,” the rapper highlights his early career successes, including meeting women at the club, sitting on flights next to Vanna White, and driving fly cars. As he raps on the hook, “If you wanna go and take a ride with me / We 3-wheelin' in the fo’ with the gold D’s / Oh, why do I live this way? / Hey, must be the money!” 

On Cyndi Lauper’s 1989 track, “I Drove All Night,” she details a woman longing for a lover's affection, so she hops in the car to see them. Take it from Lauper, as she sings, “I drove all night to get to you / Is that alright? / I drove all night / Crept in your room / Woke you from your sleep / To make love to you.” 

Prince took the meaning of cars to another level on his 1982 track “Little Red Corvette.” Although he uses plenty of car metaphors, such as speed and body build, the song actually references a one-night stand with a promiscuous woman. As he sings throughout the track, “Babe, you got to slow down / Little Red Corvette / ‘Cause if you don’t, ‘cause if you don’t / You’re gonna run your body right into the ground."

Keith Urban describes his longing to be with his partner on his 2014 track “Somewhere In My Car.” He details his loneliness, but he dreams of going for a drive with his favorite person and spending time with them. He sings on the hook, “But in my mind, we’re somewhere in my car / And it’s raining hard on the streetlight glow / You got your lips on mine, it’s gasoline on fire.” 

Rick Ross is notorious for making music that people can drive to and envision a lavish life. He did just that when he teamed up with Drake and Chrisette Michele on their 2010 collaboration “Aston Martin Music.” As Michele sings on the hook, “Riding to the music, this is how we do it all night / Breezing down the freeway just me and my baby, in our ride.” 

On Rose Royce’s disco and funky single “Car Wash,” the band details daily renderings of working at a car wash. Besides being a place for people to bring their cars to get cleaned, it’s a great job for anyone who wants to meet different customers.

Sometimes a car can help give someone a certain image. Kings of Leon alludes to that on their 2007 track “Camaro.” In the song, the band sings of how a Camaro can easily catch someone’s eye. As they sing on the hook, “She look so cool in her new Camaro / It’s black as coal and it goes boy, go, go, go.” 

The-Dream uses car metaphors to describe his wants and needs on his 2007 track “Fast Car.” Before the beat drops, someone hopping into a car and starting the engine is heard, before The-Dream references getting intimate. As he sings on the hook, “I need a fast car, candy-coated red / Drive me all night and park it in my bed / I need a fast car, I wanna see you zoom / Racetrack waiting in my bedroom.” 

When people think of the term “getaway car,” they reference a car used by criminals to try to flee a crime scene as quickly as possible. To a certain extent, Taylor Swift references that imagery in her song “Getaway Car,” but she also uses it as a metaphor to describe her relationship. Swift finds herself using her new partner as an escape from her previous partner, but based on how the new relationship started, it wasn’t bound to last for the long haul. 

When Chamillionaire released his single “Ridin,’” it became an anthem for many people to play while driving. On the track, Chamillionaire details how police are trying to catch him driving with drugs in his possession. As he says on the hook, “They see me rollin',’ they hatin’ / Patrollin’ and tryna catch me ridin’ dirty.” 

The color red has longtime been a popular color for sports cars, the bright color makes any car stand out among other vehicles. Rascal Flatts make note of that on their 2010 track “Red Camaro.” In the song, the band sings about the car reminds them of a past relationship. As they sing in the second verse, “I saw a red Camaro today / And I did a double take / I thought I saw her face / We were so reckless and young / And it all comes back to me in stonewash memories.” 

Tracy Chapman’s 1998 single “Fast Car” tells the story of a couple ready to start a new life. The couple has worked hard and is down on their luck, so they feel that life could be better if they were just in a different place. The couple's feelings are heard as Chapman sings, “You got a fast car / Is it fast enough so we can fly away? / We gotta make a decision / Leave tonight or live and die this way.” 

In early 2021, pop singer Olivia Rodrigo came onto the music scene with her debut single, “drivers license.” On the track, Rodrigo describes going through a breakup, and she’s having a hard time driving around by places she used to frequent with her ex-partner. As she says on the track, “Red lights, stop signs / I still see your face in the white cars, front yards / Can’t drive past the places we used to go to / ‘Cause I still f--king love you, babe.” 

Some teenagers have dreams of becoming professional athletes, movie stars, or attending a certain college. However, for Brad Paisley, his dream as a teenager was getting the car he wanted, as he iterates in his song “All I Wanted Was a Car.” He sings about saving up as much money as possible, and once he got the car, he drove it everywhere.