Car Song (Elastica song)

"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
ReleasedJanuary 1996
Recorded1994
GenreBritpop, alternative rock
Length2:25
LabelGeffen Records
Songwriter(s)Justine Frischmann, Elastica
Producer(s)Elastica
Elastica singles chronology
"Waking Up"
(1995)
"Car Song"
(1996)
"How He Wrote Elastica Man"
(1999)

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

edit

In 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]

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

edit

The 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

edit

CD single[3]

  1. "Car Song" [LP Version]
  2. "Car Song" (Live)
  3. "Bar Bar Bar" (Demo)
  4. "Jam" [II] (Live)
  5. "Gloria" (Live)

Charts

edit
Chart Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[10] 106
Canadian Alternative Rock[7] 14
US Alternative Songs[6] 33

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "Elastica - Elastica". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  2. ^ Pareles, Jon. "IN PERFORMANCE; POP". The New York Times, 4 March 1995. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Car Song - Elastica". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  4. ^ Beets, Greg. "Elastica - Music Review". austinchronicle.com, 15 August 2003. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  5. ^ Eddy, Chuck. "Elastica Review". ew.com, 7 April 1995. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Car Song - Elastica". billboard.com. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Results - RPM" Archived 23 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  8. ^ Hay, Carla. "Sound Tracks" Billboard, 28 September 2002, p. 14.
  9. ^ Beebe, Roger and Middleton, Jason. Medium Cool: Music Videos from Soundies to Cellphones (Duke University Press, 2007), p. 308.
  10. ^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 5 June 2015". Imgur. Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
edit