An Automotive Omnibus: Reader questions for The Cars...

“You can knock me. I don’t care.

You can mock me. I don’t care.

You can rock me just about anywhere…”

--The Cars, You’re All I’ve Got Tonight

Ah, The Cars. Good memories and fond associations. I can mock them. They don’t care. But my heart's just not in it. The Rockmocker may be going a little soft. I guess my allegiance to The Cars mainly comes down to three things:

a) The songs: catchy, distinctive, fun to drive to, just damn, you know.  

b) The fact that Ric Ocasek snagged Paulina Porizkova.

c) The cover of Candy-O.  (And The Cars and Shake It Up, for that matter.)

But Rockmocker readers aren’t so quick to give The Cars a pass. In recent days two different readers have sent in questions for Mr. Ocasek and/or The Cars. I pass them along as a public service. Gentlemen, we await your answers.

Reader P.B. writes…

Dear Ric Ocasek,

 In your Cars song, Let the Good Times Roll, you say,

…let them leave you up in the air

let them brush your rock-n-roll hair

let the good times roll.

What is “rock-n-roll hair”? Is it like “bed head”? Do you have to go to a special hairdresser to get it?

You go on to sing “…if the illusion is real, let them give you a ride”

If the illusion is real, wouldn’t it not be an illusion? 

Fine questions, P.B. I think Joe Walsh might be your best resource on that illusion question. As for “rock-n-roll hair,” if you don’t know what that is, you clearly didn’t live through the '80s or don’t currently reside in San Luis Obispo.

In a similar vein, reader D.S. would like to inquire of The Cars just what is a “clock machine” as mentioned in the song Let’s Go.

She’s winding ‘em down on a clock machine

And she won’t give up ‘cause she’s seventeen.

That’s a legitimate question too, D.S. I’d try to answer it for you but the old clock machine on the wall says it’s time to walk away from my computer machine and get some real work done.

Are you like me, readers? Do you like the nightlife, baby? Well, then…Let’s go! 

(The Cars, live 1982. Ben Orr lead vocals. R.I.P. 2000)

 

Got a question for classic rocker?

Send it to the rockmocker and we’ll pass it along.