Cars and Girls
Encyclopedia
"Cars and Girls" is a single
released by the British
rock
group
Prefab Sprout
in 1988. It was the first single taken from their album of that year, From Langley Park to Memphis
. The single reached number 44 in the UK Singles Chart
, and spent five weeks in that listing. It is one of their best-known song
s, despite its comparatively low chart
placing.
The song is a response to Bruce Springsteen
's perceived lyric
al style and alleged narrow song repertoire.
McAloon suggests that Springsteen's worldview is too restricted and that "some things hurt more, much more, than cars and girls". Ironically, the song's popularity is partly due to it being misinterpreted as a "driving song
", leading it to appear on compilation album
s such as Summer Cruisin' and Top Gear (a spin-off from the BBC Television
motoring show of the same name).
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Prefab Sprout
Prefab Sprout
Prefab Sprout are an alternative English pop rock band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham, England who rose to fame during the 1980s. Eight of their albums have reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, and one of their singles, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", peaked at number seven in the UK...
in 1988. It was the first single taken from their album of that year, From Langley Park to Memphis
From Langley Park to Memphis
From Langley Park to Memphis is the third album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, and was released in March 1988.The title is taken from a lyric to the song, "The Venus of the Soup Kitchen", and refers to the village of Langley Park, County Durham in England, and the city of Memphis, Tennessee in...
. The single reached number 44 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and spent five weeks in that listing. It is one of their best-known song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s, despite its comparatively low chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
placing.
The song is a response to Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's perceived lyric
Lyric poetry
Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...
al style and alleged narrow song repertoire.
McAloon suggests that Springsteen's worldview is too restricted and that "some things hurt more, much more, than cars and girls". Ironically, the song's popularity is partly due to it being misinterpreted as a "driving song
Driving song
A driving song, also referred to as a road trip song, is a song whose theme and tempo are considered ideal for accompaniment to driving. It is a music genre or style distinct from a car song.According to VH1, the Top 10 Driving Songs include the following:...
", leading it to appear on compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s such as Summer Cruisin
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
motoring show of the same name).