Used Cars
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics


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My little sister's in the front seat with an ice cream cone
My ma's in the back seat sitting all alone
As my pa steers her slow out of the lot
For a test drive down Michigan Avenue

Now my ma she fingers her wedding band
And watches the salesman stare at my old man's hands
He's telling us all about the break he'd give us, if he could but he just can't
Well if I could I swear I know just what I'd do

Now mister the day the lottery I win
I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again

Now the neighbors come from near and far
As we pull up in our brand new used car
I wish he'd just hit the gas and let out a cry
And tell them all they can kiss our asses goodbye

My dad he sweats the same job from morning to morn
Me I walk home on the same dirty streets where I was born
Up the block I can hear my little sister in the front seat blowing that horn
The sounds echoing all down Michigan Avenue





Now mister the day my number comes in
I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again

Overall Meaning

Bruce Springsteen's "Used Cars" is an evocative meditation on the human experience of hope and aspiration amidst the often harsh realities of life. The imagery in the opening stanza is particularly powerful, as the little sister's carefree enjoyment of an ice cream cone contrasts sharply with her mother's mournful demeanor in the back seat, where she fidgets with her wedding band while the father test drives cars. The negotiation between the father and the salesman further emphasizes the tension between economic limitations and aspirations - the father would like to buy a new car, but can only afford a used one. In a move that is typical of Springsteen's songwriting, he uses these seemingly mundane moments to portray a far broader cultural and historical narrative.


Throughout the song, Springsteen's narrator dreams of transcending the limitations of his economic background; winning the lottery symbolizes the hope of making it big and leaving behind the struggle to make ends meet. The final lines of the song, in which the singer vows never to ride in a used car again when his "number comes in", highlight this theme of striving for something better and using the power of imagination and hope to achieve those dreams.


Overall, "Used Cars" is a moving lyrical portrait of the complexities of American life, as it speaks to the aspirations and struggles of everyday people.


Line by Line Meaning

My little sister's in the front seat with an ice cream cone
My younger sister riding shotgun with an ice cream cone.


My ma's in the back seat sitting all alone
My mother sits alone in the rear of the car.


As my pa steers her slow out of the lot
My father cautiously navigates the car out of the dealership.


For a test drive down Michigan Avenue
He takes it for a drive to assess its quality on a major road.


Now my ma she fingers her wedding band
My mother fidgets with her wedding ring, perhaps out of worry.


And watches the salesman stare at my old man's hands
She observes the salesman studying my father's hands, which are likely calloused from work.


He's telling us all about the break he'd give us, if he could but he just can't
The salesman speaks of discounts he'd grant, but he's unable to lower the price sufficiently.


Well if I could I swear I know just what I'd do
I have an idea of how to negotiate the price down myself.


Now mister the day the lottery I win
If I ever won the lottery,


I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again
I wouldn't ever consider purchasing a used car again.


Now the neighbors come from near and far
Our neighbors come out to see our new purchase.


As we pull up in our brand new used car
As we arrive in our new, yet pre-owned vehicle.


I wish he'd just hit the gas and let out a cry
I wish my father would celebrate and speed away in the car.


And tell them all they can kiss our asses goodbye
And tell the neighbors to farewell or leave us alone.


My dad he sweats the same job from morning to morn
My father works the same grueling job day by day.


Me I walk home on the same dirty streets where I was born
I walk along the same familiar streets where I grew up.


Up the block I can hear my little sister in the front seat blowing that horn
I can hear my sister honking the car's horn from a few blocks away.


The sounds echoing all down Michigan Avenue
The sound travels all along the busy street.


Now mister the day my number comes in
If I win the lottery,


I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again
I'll never again ride in a pre-owned vehicle.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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