Songs while driving in films

[Jon]

Inspired by Ian's thread. There must be loads of them. Off the top of my head there's Bohemian Rhapsody in Waynes World. Tom Petty accounts for 2 I can think of - American Girl in Silence of the Lambs and Free Falling in Jerry Maguire (although why Tom Cruise chooses this song on his car radio over Bitch by the Rolling Stones is always beyond me).

Then you've got Looking out my Back Door by Creedance in The Big Lebowski (and the Eagles too). I always kept a good stack of Creedance tapes in my car too, not in homage to the film mind, I'd been doing it for years.

I always love Harry Dean Stanton driving into New Orleans in Wild at Heart listening to 'Baby Please Don't Go' by Them, not singing along as I recall. He just says 'The Big N.O." One day I'd like to do the same.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Songs while driving in films

The Killer Inside Me — One Hand Loose (Charlie Feathers)

Which I've been able to namecheck in two threads on this forum this week.

Easy Rider — I Wasn't Born to Follow (Byrds); If Six Was Nine; (Hendrix); Born to be Wild (Steppenwolf); If You Wanna be a Bird (Holy Modal Rounders)

[Jon]

Songs while driving in films

"Easy Rider" - Yes, road movies will have loads, won't they. Just thought of another one from my favourite road movie - Wicked Game in Wild at Heart. Love that scene.

[Sam]

Songs while driving in films

Matt Monro - 'On Days Like These', otherwise known as the title music for The Italian Job (the original).

[G-Man]

Songs while driving in films

I don't recall if he sings along to it, but Furious Styles getting excited about The Five Stairsteps' "Ooh Child" in Boyz 'N The Hood is a great music-while-driving scenes, on so many different levels.

[Benjm]

Songs while driving in films

G.Man wrote:

I don't recall if he sings along to it, but Furious Styles getting excited about The Five Stairsteps' "Ooh Child" in Boyz 'N The Hood is a great music-while-driving scenes, on so many different levels.

That is a great scene, although I remember thinking that as a strong male role model Furious might have kept his eyes a little more closely on the road.

Never knew who the song was by until now, despite idly wondering at various times over the years - ta, G,Man! Is it featured in the Soul Train box set? (Mine arrived the other day, to great excitement.)

[G-Man]

Songs while driving in films

Sadly, it doesn't feature. Mind you, there's so much to compensate for the absence of that (the discs with The Delfonics and the Chi-Lites!!!).

YouTube to the rescue!

[Amor de Cosmos]

Songs while driving in films

"Easy Rider" - Yes, road movies will have loads, won't they.

Sure. Probably the killer in that respect is American Graffiti which, if memory serves has about forty songs on its soundtrack, most of which are played on car radios. The only ones I can remember for sure though, are Del Shannon's Runaway, Surfin' Safari: "I think the Beach Boys are really boss don't you?" "Nah, there hasn't been any decent music since Buddy Holly died." And Bobby Freeman's Do You Wanna Dance?

A few more:
The Guess Who — American Woman (American Beauty)

Prince, on his motorbike — When Doves Cry (Purple Rain)

The Cleftones, Henry as car jockey — Can't we be Sweethearts (Goodfellas)

The Ramones — Touring (Hard Core Logo)

[Incandenza]

Songs while driving in films

Harry Nilsson - "Jump Into the Fire" in Goodfellas

It's played a couple of times in the sequence, not just in the car, but I can't hear it and not think of Ray Liotta's bloodshot eyes looking up at the helicopter.

[erwin]

Songs while driving in films

This bloke's driving is shocking ...

... and surely you're not supposed to talk to the driver while he's at the wheel (or rue).

And "women!", eh?

[evilC]

Songs while driving in films

'I'm Deranged'

"Just rocket blind into the dark."

[Amor de Cosmos]

Songs while driving in films

erwin wrote:

This bloke's driving is shocking ...

Great call.

[Ibn Pickthall]

Songs while driving in films

Jim Jarmush's films have some good, pensive driving scenes:
Forrest Whittaker in Ghost Dog listening to Wu-Tang
Bill Murray in Broken Flowers listening to some odd east-African mix his neighbour put together for him.

There's probably more, but I can't think of them

[Jon]

Songs while driving in films

oh, that boyz n the hood scene sounds great. will have to check it out. been ages since I saw it. talking of the delfonics, doesn't Robert Forster buy a Cd by them and play it in his car, after pam Greer has introduced them to him? (in jackie brown).

American graffiti - yes, there's so much music in that film that it all kind of melts together. great quote about the beach boys.
had forgotten it completely.

[ian.64]

Songs while driving in films

Not a song, really, but Lalo Schifrin's score in Bullitt, prior to the San Francisco car chase, is a wonderful primer before it cuts off to let the chase begin in earnest. It's as if the orchestra's putting the seatbelt on for you.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Songs while driving in films

When Sam Sheldon, the novelist central character played by James Caan, drives down the snowy hairpin bend-strewn road after finishing his novel at the beginning of Misery, he is beating the steering wheel in time to Shotgun, which I believe is Jr. Walker and the Allstars (?)

[Ray de Galles]

Songs while driving in films

Have we done this?

[The Alan Partridge Project]

Songs while driving in films

Sheeeeeeeeesh! I can't believe that no-one has, as yet, mentioned the title song from the greatest road movie ever:

[Amor de Cosmos]

Songs while driving in films

See Erwin's post up-thread.

[The Alan Partridge Project]

Songs while driving in films

Tsk! Oblique links!

[VTTBoscombe]

Songs while driving in films

"Mrs Robinson", from "The Graduate" - especially when Benjamin Dickhead runs out of gas and the guitar strums get slower..... And it's a boat tail Spider/Spyder , how ever its spelt.

[erwin]

Songs while driving in films

A different Deadwood.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Songs while driving in films

And a different kind of driving...

[erwin]

Songs while driving in films

Nice one, AdeC - that takes me back.

[Jon]

Songs while driving in films

I'd forgotten that both Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning both wig out to songs in their cars in American Beauty.