Devil in my car
The B-52’s Lyrics
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Help! The devil's in my car.
Help! The devil's in my car.
Ho, devil's in my car, whoa please
Please! Leave me alone!
We're really tearin' tar.
We're goin' 90 miles an hour.
He's drivin' me to Hell now.
He's pointing his pitchfork at me.
He's in the front seat of my car!
He's taking over!
Ooh, he ripped my upholstery.
He's at the wheel,
Help! The devil's in my car.
Help! He's drivin' too far.
Ooh!
Whoa!
I can't lock the door,
I can't put on my safety belt.
There's nothing for me to do but yell help!
Devil's in my car!
I'm goin' to Hell in my old Chevrolet,
I don't know which way.
Oh, help! Devil's in my car!
Yeah, yeah. He's gone too far.
I won't see ya tomorrow.
I won't see ya anymore.
He's got his cloven hoof on the clutch.
Oh! Ow! I'm sitting on his tail.
Oh-oh, I don't want to go to Hell.
(I don't want to go to the devil.)
He's in my car, in my car, in my car.
Oh-wah!
The radio gives me static,
There's nothing on my CB.
Oh, help! the devil's in my car.
Oh, he's in my car. He's in my car.
The devil's in my car.
We're turning off the road.
Oh! Where ya taking me devil?
Oh! He's grinning door to door.
He's got his cloven hoof on the clutch.
Help me!
Oh, I don't want to go to Hell.
(I don't want to go to the devil.)
He's in my car.
Freeway to Hell.
We're burning up the road.
Freeway to Hell. (Right through the tollbooth)
We're burning up the road
The B-52's song "Devil in my Car" is a humorous take on the classic blues theme of making a deal with the devil. The song tells the story of a person who is trapped in a car with the devil himself, who has taken over the driver's seat and is speeding toward Hell. The singer of the song pleads for help and expresses their fear and frustration.
Throughout the song, the devil is anthropomorphized, characterized as a mischievous and maniacal figure: he points his pitchfork, rips the upholstery, grins from door to door, and grinds his cloven hoof on the clutch. The lyrics are full of wry one-liners, such as "He's drivin' me crazy / He's drivin' me to Hell now" and "Freeway to Hell / We're burning up the road."
The song is a satirical take on the classic Faustian bargain trope, which has been used in literature and music for centuries. The B-52's inject their unique brand of humor and irreverence into the theme, creating a catchy and memorable tune that is both fun and thought-provoking.
Line by Line Meaning
Help! The devil's in my car.
As the singer drives, they are haunted by the devil and need help to get rid of him.
Ho, devil's in my car, whoa please
The devil is taking control of the car and the singer is pleading for help.
Please! Leave me alone!
The singer pleads with the devil to leave them alone.
We're really tearin' tar.
The car is going really fast and the tires are burning up the road.
We're goin' 90 miles an hour.
The car is going very fast at 90 miles per hour.
He's drivin' me crazy.
The singer is being driven to insanity by the devil in their car.
He's drivin' me to Hell now.
The devil is leading the singer to their doom in Hell.
He's pointing his pitchfork at me.
The devil is threatening the singer with his pitchfork.
He's in the front seat of my car!
The devil is in the front seat of the car, riding shotgun.
He's taking over!
The devil is taking control of the car and the singer's life.
Ooh, he ripped my upholstery.
The devil is damaging the interior of the car, ripping the upholstery.
He's at the wheel,
Help! The devil's in my car.
Help! He's drivin' too far.
The devil is at the wheel and is driving the car too far, prompting the singer to plead for help.
Ooh!
Whoa!
The singer is surprised and scared by the devil's actions, expressing their reactions with these sounds.
I can't lock the door,
I can't put on my safety belt.
The devil is preventing the singer from taking safety precautions while in the car.
There's nothing for me to do but yell help!
The singer can't do anything except ask for help.
Devil's in my car!
I'm goin' to Hell in my old Chevrolet,
I don't know which way.
Oh, help! Devil's in my car!
The devil is in the car, which is an old Chevrolet, and is driving the singer to Hell. The singer does not know where they are going and asks for help.
Yeah, yeah. He's gone too far.
I won't see ya tomorrow.
I won't see ya anymore.
The devil has taken things too far and the singer is afraid they won't survive to see their loved ones again.
He's got his cloven hoof on the clutch.
Oh!
Ow! I'm sitting on his tail.
The devil is driving with his cloven hoof and the singer is being hurt by sitting on the devil's tail.
Oh-oh, I don't want to go to Hell.
(I don't want to go to the devil.)
The singer does not want to go to Hell or be associated with the devil.
He's in my car, in my car, in my car.
Oh-wah!
The devil is inside the car, repeatedly being emphasized by the singer.
The radio gives me static,
There's nothing on my CB.
Oh, help! the devil's in my car.
Oh, he's in my car. He's in my car.
The radio and CB are not working, and the singer is asking for help because the devil is still in their car.
We're turning off the road.
Oh! Where ya taking me devil?
Oh! He's grinning door to door.
He's got his cloven hoof on the clutch.
Help me!
The devil is taking the singer off the road, and the singer is scared and unsure of where they are being taken. The devil is still driving with his hoof, and the singer is asking for help.
Freeway to Hell.
We're burning up the road.
Freeway to Hell. (Right through the tollbooth)
We're burning up the road
The devil is driving the car on a freeway to Hell, potentially passing through a tollbooth. They are driving recklessly fast.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., SENTRIC MUSIC
Written by: CINDY WILSON, FRED SCHNEIDER, KATE PIERSON, KEITH STRICKLAND, RICKY WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind