“Cars” is a 1979 new wave hit by Gary Numan, released as the lead single from his debut solo album The Pleasure Principle. It marked Numan’s transition from his post-punk band Tubeway Army to a solo career and is widely credited with pioneering the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.
The song was written in approximately 10 to 30 minutes after Numan stumbled upon the iconic bass riff on a new Shergold Modulator bass guitar he had just purchased. The lyrics were inspired by a road rage incident in London where Numan felt threatened by other drivers, leading him to view his car as a protective “tank” or cocoon against a hostile world. This theme of isolation and technological refuge resonated with Numan’s personal experience of Asperger syndrome and the societal anxieties of late-1970s Britain.
Musically, the track features a Minimoog and Polymoog synthesizer, creating a cold, futuristic soundscape that contrasted sharply with the guitar-driven punk music of the era. The song reached number 1 in the UK and Canada and peaked at number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It has remained a staple in Numan’s live performances and saw renewed commercial success in 1987 and 1996, including a notable nu-metal cover by Fear Factory in 1998.
Here in my car
I feel safest of all
I can lock all my doors
It’s the only way to live
In cars
Here in my car
I can only receive
I can listen to you
It keeps me stable for days
In cars
[Verse 2]
Here in my car
Where the image breaks down
Will you visit me, please
If I open my door?
In cars
Here in my car
I know I’ve started to think
About leaving tonight
Although nothing seems right
In cars
