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New Black Car Lyrics
Waiting tables at your restaurant job
An old man reads the paper in the booth where I stop
To say hello when I'm in town
To ask a friend if you're around
And I think about those summer nights
We never slept we didn't mind
And I felt so alive and happy
Just sitting on the porch
And swinging back and forth
Now everything seems so distant
But I promise I'm not too far
When you're alone in your brand new car
Driving your new black car
Into the rain
Chorus:
Are you listening to the radio?
Are you driving down a city road?
Are you alone in your new black car?
I imagine you there
I'm sitting by the window here
The morning birds will reappear
And I feel empty
Our songs are on the radio
You call me up but I have to go
And I'm sorry angel
I'm sorry
But I'll call you right back, I swear
And you'll think I left you there
Alone with an empty chair
But I whisper your name
Repeat Chorus
Are you listening to the radio?
Are you driving down a city road?
Are you alone in your new black car
The wind in your hair
Are you tired of watching the rain hit the glass?
All alone but aware of the places we've passed
Together we were singing along to the songs
Are you now?
Are you now?
I'm thinking of you in your college town
Are you thinking of me as you're driving around?
Are you listening to me?
Are you listening?
Repeat Chorus
Are you listening to the radio?
Are you driving down a winding road?
Are you alone in your new black car?
The wind in your hair
Alone in your new black car
I imagine you there
Driving your new black car
The wind in your hair
Are you listening to the radio?
Are you listening to the radio?
Are you listening to the radio?
Are you listening to the radio?
An old man reads the paper in the booth where I stop
To say hello when I'm in town
To ask a friend if you're around
And I think about those summer nights
We never slept we didn't mind
And I felt so alive and happy
Just sitting on the porch
And swinging back and forth
Now everything seems so distant
When you're alone in your brand new car
Driving your new black car
Into the rain
Are you listening to the radio?
Are you driving down a city road?
Are you alone in your new black car?
I imagine you there
The morning birds will reappear
And I feel empty
Our songs are on the radio
You call me up but I have to go
And I'm sorry angel
I'm sorry
But I'll call you right back, I swear
And you'll think I left you there
Alone with an empty chair
But I whisper your name
Are you driving down a city road?
Are you alone in your new black car
The wind in your hair
All alone but aware of the places we've passed
Together we were singing along to the songs
Are you now?
Are you now?
I'm thinking of you in your college town
Are you thinking of me as you're driving around?
Are you listening to me?
Are you listening?
Are you driving down a winding road?
Are you alone in your new black car?
The wind in your hair
I imagine you there
Driving your new black car
The wind in your hair
Are you listening to the radio?
Are you listening to the radio?
Are you listening to the radio?
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
New Black Car is one of my favorite songs.
Its a friendship/relationship gone cold, although, the singer is reaching out. the distance between the singer and his friend can be both taken literally and figuratively.
Literal Interpretation: The song lyrics is pretty straightforward. The themes of nostalgia, loneliness and longing are heavy in the lyrics as expressed in the images of "driving alone in the rain", "empty chair", missed calls and old songs ("our songs").
OK Let's go deeper, so here are my notes.
"Black Car" = subconscious/inner self... "New" = a change of heart, perhaps, a different way of looking at things... "Driving alone", "into the rain", "down a winding road/city road", "wind in your hair" = where no one can reach, although with confusion, distraction, there is a willful desire to go somewhere/to resolve something...
"You call me up but I have to go And I'm sorry angel I'm sorry But I'll call you right back, I swear And you'll think I left you there Alone with an empty chair But I whisper your name"
=not being there when needed, not seeing things in the same way, she's feeling left alone. They aren't in the same wavelength, and so she drives away, alone.
"Are you listening to the radio/to me?" =the singer is driven to reach out, something like asking whether she (the driver) is in touch with reality or at least in touch with his (the singer's) reality.
"Are you tired of watching the rain hit the glass? All alone but aware of the places we've passed Together we were singing along to the songs ... I'm thinking of you in your college town Are you thinking of me as you're driving around?"
=this is something like a catharsis, the driver probably aims to resolve her inner demons, as it were, or letting go of some past, while the singer is asking to be let in and help in her soul-searching or resolution.
Finally, going deeper isn't always necessary, vis-a-vis the intention of the songwriter; but hey, there are always nice insights into the song's idea that even the songwriter might not have been even conscious of.