The Cars - Ric Ocasek, Greg Hawkes, Benjamin Orr, Elliot Easton and late addition David Robinson - were a product of the late '70s American new wave scene. Like their contemporaries, the band cited such progressive '70s acts as Bowie, Lou Reed and Roxy Music as influences, acts for whom the visual side of the presentation was nearly as important as the musical side. The band's interest in visual presentation was evident in their excellent videos, an important medium for early '80s bands. The Cars were perfect for early MTV - they weren't controversial, they dressed well and kept their hair fashionable, and the music was catchy without being too cerebral. While perhaps not as influential as fellow new wave acts the Talking Heads or Blondie, the Cars had a longer string of success in the early '80s then either band. From their 1977 debut single "Just What I Needed" up to their final album in 1987, the band scored one top ten hit after another, including such memorable tunes as "Just What I Needed," "Since You're Gone," "Drive," Shake It Up," "Tonight She Comes" and "You Might Think."
"Drive" is a 1984 song by The Cars. The third single from the band's Heartbeat City album, it was written by Ric Ocasek, and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange and The Cars. Lead vocals were by Cars' bassist Benjamin Orr.
"Drive" was The Cars' highest charting single in the United States, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also got to #5 in the UK singles chart, becoming their second biggest UK hit. In addition, it was famously used as part of the Live Aid concert in 1985, as the background music to a montage of clips showing poverty-stricken Africa.
The Paradise Motel included a cover of "Drive" on their 1999 album Flight Paths.
This song has also been rendered by the German Heavy Metal band, Scorpions, in their 2001 unplugged album Acoustica.
Drive
Who's gonna tell you when It's too late Who's gonna tell you things Aren't so great
CHORUS: You can't go on Thinking nothing's wrong Who's gonna drive you home tonight Who's gonna pick you up When you fall Who's gonna hang it up When you call Who's gonna pay attention To your dreams Who's gonna plug their ears When you scream CHORUS
Who's gonna hold you down When you shake Who's gonna come around When you break CHORUS
