"Car Song" is a song by the Britpop group Elastica. It was originally released in 1995 on the band's self-titled debut album. It was released as a single in North America and Australia in January 1996 but was never issued in the UK.
| "Car Song" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Elastica | ||||
| from the album Elastica | ||||
| Released | January 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||
| Genre | Britpop, alternative rock | |||
| Length | 2:25 | |||
| Label | Geffen Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Justine Frischmann, Elastica | |||
| Producer(s) | Elastica | |||
| Elastica singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song received positive reviews from critics. It peaked at #33 on the US Alternative Songs chart and at #14 on the Canadian alternative chart.
Background
edit"Car Song" was written by Elastica's lead singer, Justine Frischmann. The song is about having sex in a car.[1][2]
Release
edit"Car Song" was first released on Elastica's self-titled debut album on 14 March 1995.[1] Its five-track CD single was released in 1996 by Geffen Records.[3] Another version of the song, titled "Four Wheeling", was included on Elastica's compilation album, Elastica Radio One Sessions.[4]
Critical reception
edit"Car Song" received generally positive reviews from music critics. According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine, the song "makes sex in a car actually sound sexy".[1] Entertainment Weekly's Chuck Eddy wrote that "Justine Frischmann's awkward sex-in-a-Ford-Fiesta forwardness ("Car Song") can charm your pants off."[5]
Chart performance
editIn the US, the single spent three weeks on the Alternative Songs chart and peaked at #33 on 23 December 1995.[6] It also spent nine weeks on the Canadian alternative chart, peaking at #14 there.[7]
In popular media
edit"Car Song" was included on an episode of Gilmore Girls in addition to appearing on the show's soundtrack Our Little Corner of the World: Music from Gilmore Girls.[8] The song was also featured in TV show Hindsight.
Music video
editThe song's music video, directed by Spike Jonze, has been described as a "futuristic thriller combining elements of Blade Runner and Japanese monster films".[9]
Track list
editCD single[3]
- "Car Song" [LP Version]
- "Car Song" (Live)
- "Bar Bar Bar" (Demo)
- "Jam" [II] (Live)
- "Gloria" (Live)
Charts
edit| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart[10] | 106 |
| Canadian Alternative Rock[7] | 14 |
| US Alternative Songs[6] | 33 |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Elastica - Elastica". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ Pareles, Jon. "IN PERFORMANCE; POP". The New York Times, 4 March 1995. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Car Song - Elastica". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ Beets, Greg. "Elastica - Music Review". austinchronicle.com, 15 August 2003. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ Eddy, Chuck. "Elastica Review". ew.com, 7 April 1995. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Car Song - Elastica". billboard.com. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Results - RPM" Archived 23 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ Hay, Carla. "Sound Tracks" Billboard, 28 September 2002, p. 14.
- ^ Beebe, Roger and Middleton, Jason. Medium Cool: Music Videos from Soundies to Cellphones (Duke University Press, 2007), p. 308.
- ^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 5 June 2015". Imgur. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
