Bury Me With My Car
Ben Sollee Lyrics
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When I'm gone, bury me with my car
Cause if anywhere is wherever I end up when I'm gone,
I'm gonna need my ride to get around
So please, please, bury me with my car
Ancient Egypt, Cheops' boat
Back in Rome they had chariots
China's first emperor was buried with his army
And what's a cowboy without his horse?
In America, in America, they'll bury us with our cars
'72 Buick rolling by,
Hunkered down Honda, chewing up the road
Double-decker Cadillac rolling up high
like a king upon his throne
Last thing I wanna see before I die
is a flash of 22-inch chromes in my eyes
In America, in America, they'll bury us,
Yes, in America, in America, they'll bury us with our cars
The song "Bury Me With My Car" by Ben Sollee presents the perspective that the attachment to our vehicles is significant enough to want to take them with us when we die. The repetition of the phrase "bury me with my car" throughout the song indicates the necessity and insistence of the singer's request. The song opens with the line "when I'm gone bury me with my car," which emphasizes the idea that the singer will not be able to travel without his car even in the afterlife. The reference to the ancient Egyptian practice of burying boats with pharaohs, Romans burying their chariots, and the First Emperor of China buried with his army implies that this attachment to bearers is not a new concept.
The lyrics also mention different types of cars that are significant to the singer. The mention of a '72 Buick, hunkered down Honda, double-decker Cadillac rolling up high, and the flash of 22-inch chromes indicate the singer identifies with the type of car one drives. These cars also come to represent the era in which they reigned supreme. A Buick of that era would have been symbolic of the '70s, while the Hunkered down Honda would be symbolic of the '90s. The singer admires the beauty and power of the cars, symbolizing the passion towards them.
The song highlights how important cars are in American culture. Cars are not merely objects of transportation but also objects of pride and status symbol. It is often said that cars bring freedom, power, and passion in American life. The song subtly comments on consumer culture, materialism, and the values that Americans hold when it comes to buying cars. The association of cars and identity is an ever-present characteristic of American culture, and Ben Sollee captures it beautifully through the lyrics of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
When I'm gone, now, bury me with my car
When I die, please bury me with my car.
When I'm gone, bury me with my car
When I die, please bury me with my car.
Cause if anywhere is wherever I end up when I'm gone,
If I end up anywhere after I die,
I'm gonna need my ride to get around
I will need my car to travel and get around.
So please, please, bury me with my car
So please, please, bury me with my car.
Ancient Egypt, Cheops' boat
In Ancient Egypt, King Cheops was buried with his boat.
Back in Rome they had chariots
In Rome, they buried people with chariots.
China's first emperor was buried with his army
The first emperor of China was buried with his army.
And what's a cowboy without his horse?
Horses were important to cowboys, so they would want to be buried with them.
In America, in America, they'll bury us with our cars
In America, it is common to bury people with their cars.
'72 Buick rolling by,
In this context, a '72 Buick car.
Hunkered down Honda, chewing up the road
In this context, a Honda car.
Double-decker Cadillac rolling up high
In this context, a Cadillac car.
like a king upon his throne
The person driving the Cadillac is compared to a king on a throne.
Last thing I wanna see before I die
The last thing I want to see before I die.
is a flash of 22-inch chromes in my eyes
I want to see the shiny rims of the car before I die.
In America, in America, they'll bury us,
In America, it is common to be buried with belongings that represent who you were.
Yes, in America, in America, they'll bury us with our cars
In America, it is common to be buried with your car.
Contributed by Isabelle B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.