When not crooning about romance, songwriters often turn to what most of us find a reasonable replacement: automobiles. What's your favorite song about a car?
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of songs about the experience of driving and car ownership. Music, like cars themselves, are such an expression of personal preference we'll say "favorite" instead of "best" for the moment. The song has to hit you on an emotional and intellectual level as well as adhere to some musical preferences to truly be a favorite. Though we don't necessarily agree with the specific statements of Cake's Stickshifts and Safetybelts, we completely understand the sentiment and enjoy the sound, as well:
Stick shifts and safety belts
Bucket seats have all got to go
When I'm driving in my car
It makes my baby seem so farI need you here with me
Not way over in a bucket seat
I need you to be here with me
not way over in a bucket seatBut when we driving in my Malibu
It's easy to get right next to you
I say "Baby, scoot over please"
And then she's right there next to me
As much as we live the idea of getting strapped into a Se7en, the antithesis of an old Malibu, this song is so evocative of a type of joyous and carefree cruising most modern cars can't provide. As the song says, a lot of good cars are Japanese but, when driving far, I need (or at least want) my baby next to me.
(QOTD is your chance to answer the day's most pressing automotive questions and experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you've got a suggestion for a good "Question Of The Day" send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)