10 Best Songs With The Word 'Car' In The Title

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From the rumble of an engine to the open road stretching endlessly into the horizon, cars have always been part of rock and roll’s DNA. They can represent freedom, rebellion, escape, heartbreak, or just the simple thrill of getting behind the wheel. The songs on this list take that idea in completely different directions, from Primus madness and Beatles wordplay to Tracy Chapman’s heartbreak and Queen’s almost ridiculous devotion to a machine. Here are ten great songs with the word “car” in the title.

# 10 – Jerry Was a Race Car Driver – Primus

“Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” is Primus at their weird, aggressive best. Released in 1991 on Sailing the Seas of Cheese, the song rides on Les Claypool’s instantly recognizable bass playing while telling the darkly funny story of Jerry and his need for speed. The track also shifts to Captain Pierce, a retired fireman, adding another odd character to Claypool’s little universe. That mix of musicianship, black humor, and sheer strangeness is exactly what made Primus stand apart from just about everybody else in the early 1990s. Few songs about cars sound anything like this one.

Read More: Top 10 Primus Songs

# 9 – In My Car – Joe Walsh

Joe Walsh’s “In My Car” is exactly the kind of song you would expect from him: funny, loose, and completely comfortable in its own skin. Ringo Starr had already recorded the song for his 1983 album Old Wave, which Walsh produced, before Walsh cut his own version for Got Any Gum? in 1987. The appeal is right there in the title, with the car becoming a place where the outside world’s problems can be shut out for a while. Walsh has always been great at taking something ordinary and giving it that sideways sense of humor. This one feels like a drive with the windows down and nowhere important to be.

Read More: Top 10 Joe Walsh Songs

# 8 – Drive My Car – The Beatles

"Red & Blue" The Beatles Vinyl Collection - 1962-1966 / 1967-1970 - 54 Tracks / 4 LPs [2014 Release]

“Drive My Car” opens The Beatles’ 1965 album Rubber Soul with swagger, humor, and one of the band’s great grooves. Written primarily by Paul McCartney with help from John Lennon, the song was recorded at EMI Studios in London on October 13, 1965. The story centers on a woman dreaming of stardom while offering the narrator a job as her driver, even though she does not actually own a car. That punch line gives the song its charm, but the bass, guitar, cowbell, and vocal interplay are what make it jump out of the speakers. It is one of those Beatles tracks that sounds playful and sharp at the same time.

# 7 – Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues – Jim Croce

Jim Croce could turn an everyday working man’s frustration into a story that made you laugh and feel sorry for the guy at the same time. “Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues” appeared on his 1973 album I Got a Name and was released as a single after his death. The song follows a man convinced he belongs in the executive world while reality has him washing cars, and Croce gets every bit of humor he can out of that gap between ambition and circumstance. The bluesy bounce keeps the story moving without ever getting heavy-handed. It is classic Croce: funny, observant, and painfully human.

Read More: Top 10 Jim Croce Songs

# 6 – Mary’s New Car – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

“Mary’s New Car” is one of those Tom Petty deep cuts that feels small, simple, and completely alive. The song appeared on the Heartbreakers’ 1985 album Southern Accents, where it provides a quick burst of fun amid some much heavier material. Mary gets a new set of wheels and suddenly everybody wants to go where she goes and hear what is playing on her radio. Petty turns that little moment into something joyful without trying to make it bigger than it needs to be. Sometimes a new car really can feel like the center of the universe.

# 5 – Fast Car – Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” is one of the most powerful songs ever written about escape. Released on her self-titled 1988 debut album, the song follows someone dreaming that a car and a new relationship might be enough to break free from poverty and a life that feels trapped. Chapman never oversells the emotion; her quiet delivery makes the disappointment hit even harder as those dreams begin to collapse. “Fast Car” became her breakthrough hit and won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The car in this song is not just transportation—it is hope, and that makes the ending hurt.

Read More: Top 10 Tracy Chapman Songs

# 4 – Cars – Gary Numan

Gary Numan’s “Cars” sounded like the future when it arrived in 1979, and it still has that cold mechanical edge today. Released on The Pleasure Principle, the track is built around synthesizers, a rigid rhythm, and Numan’s detached vocal delivery. The song treats the car less like a symbol of freedom and more like a private shell separating the narrator from the outside world. It reached number one in the UK and became the recording that defined Numan for a worldwide audience. Few songs have made isolation sound this sleek.

Read More: Gary Numan Songs Ranked

# 3 – Stolen Car – Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen’s “Stolen Car” is one of the quietest and saddest songs on The River. Released on the 1980 double album, it follows a man whose marriage has fallen apart and who drives through the night feeling as if he could disappear completely. The stolen car becomes less important than the emptiness inside the person driving it. Springsteen keeps the arrangement restrained, letting the loneliness of the story do the real damage. This is not a song about the thrill of the road; it is about having nowhere left to go.

# 2 – Let Me Be Your Car – Rod Stewart & Elton John

“Let Me Be Your Car” appeared on Rod Stewart’s 1974 album Smiler and gave him the perfect excuse to turn an automobile into one long flirtation. Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, the track features Elton on piano and vocals alongside Stewart. The whole performance has a loose, bluesy feel, with Stewart leaning into the car metaphor for all the obvious reasons. It is playful, a little ridiculous, and exactly the kind of collaboration you would hope to hear from these two in the 1970s. Sometimes subtlety is overrated.

# 1 – I’m in Love with My Car – Queen

Roger Taylor’s “I’m in Love with My Car” may be the ultimate rock song for anyone who has ever cared a little too much about a machine. Written and sung by Taylor, the track appeared on Queen’s 1975 album A Night at the Opera and was inspired by Queen roadie John Harris and his devotion to his car. Taylor sings the whole thing with enough conviction to make the joke feel completely serious, while the band gives him a heavy, roaring backdrop worthy of the title. The song also became the B-side of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which guaranteed it a pretty remarkable place in Queen history. Putting it at number one on a list like this almost feels mandatory.

Read More: Top 10 Roger Taylor Queen Songs