Drive

The Cars

About Drive

"Drive" is a 1984 song by the Cars, the third single from the band's Heartbeat City album released in March 1984 and their biggest international hit. Written by Ric Ocasek, the track was sung by bassist Benjamin Orr and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange with the band. Upon its release, "Drive" became The Cars' highest charting single in most territories. In the United States, it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; on the Adult Contemporary chart, the song went to No. 1. It reached No. 5 (No. 4 on re-entry in 1985) in the United Kingdom, No. 4 in West Germany, No. 6 in Canada and No. 3 (No. 5 on re-entry in 1985) in Ireland. The song is associated with the July 1985 Live Aid event, where it was performed by Benjamin Orr during the Philadelphia event; previously, the song was used as the background music to a montage of clips depicting the contemporaneous Ethiopian famine during the London event, which was introduced by English musician David Bowie. Following the concert, it re-entered the UK Singles Chart and peaked at No. 4 in August 1985. Proceeds from the sales of the re-released song raised nearly £160,000 for the Band Aid Trust: Ocasek presented the charity's trustee Midge Ure with a cheque for the amount while he was in London in November 1986 promoting his solo album This Side of Paradise. In a retrospective review of the single, AllMusic journalist Donald A. Guarisco praised the song for being "a gorgeous ballad that matches heartfelt songwriting to an alluring electronic soundscape. The music reflects the lyrical tone with a lovely melody that rises and falls in a soothing yet sad fashion." 


Year:
2003
3:56
108 
#1

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Who's gonna tell you when
It's too late
Who's gonna tell you things
Aren't so great

You can't go on
Thinking nothing's wrong
Who's gonna drive you home tonight

Who's gonna pick you up
When you fall
Who's gonna hang it up
When you call
Who's gonna pay attention
To your dreams
Who's gonna plug their ears
When you scream

You can't go on
Thinking nothing's wrong
Who's gonna drive you home tonight

Who's gonna hold you down
When you shake
Who's gonna come around
When you break

You can't go on
Thinking nothing's wrong
Who's gonna drive you home tonight

Oh you know you can't go on
Thinking nothing's wrong
Who's gonna drive you home tonight

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The Cars

The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band originated in Boston, Massachusetts, with lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson. They were signed to Elektra Records by George Daly, then A&R head, in 1977. more »

4 fans

Written by: Ric Ocasek

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Billboard Ranking
The song "Drive" by The Cars is one of the band's greatest hits; it reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1984.
Songwriter
"Drive" was written by The Cars' primary songwriter Ric Ocasek.
Lead Singer
Typically, Ocasek was also the lead singer for the band. However, "Drive" was their highest charting hit featuring bassist Benjamin Orr as the lead vocalist.
Album
"Drive" is the third track on the band's 1984 album, "Heartbeat City".
Music Video
The music video of "Drive" was noted for its thematic elements heavily influenced by the 1984 Summer Olympics. Interestingly enough, actor Timothy Hutton directed this unique cinematic piece of art.
Genre
The Cars are typically known for their new wave, synth-pop style, and "Drive" embodies these genres well.
Awards
"Drive" was nominated for Best Video at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards.
Live Aid Performance
The song was memorably used as the background music during a montage of famine-stricken Ethiopia, in the fundraising Live Aid event in 1985.
Cover versions
Over the years, "Drive" has been covered by several artists, such as Aimee Mann, Ziggy Marley and The Deftones.
Pop Culture
This song has been used in different mediums of pop culture, featuring in notable movies and TV shows. For instance, it was heard in "Transformers: Age of Extinction" (2014) and the Netflix series "Stranger Things" (2019).
Reissue
The song was reissued as a double A-side single with "Why Can't I Have You" following Orr's death in 2000, where it reached number 35 in the UK chart.
Grammy Museum
As a testament to its enduring popularity, the handwritten lyrics to "Drive" are on display at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.

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    Drive

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1984

    Billboard #3


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