Lyric discussion by goodreverend 

Cover art for The Backseat lyrics by Gaslight Anthem, The

"In the back seats of burned out cars" is likely an homage to Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road": "There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets They scream your name at night in the street"