The name comes from the bouffant wigs that are part of the band's distinctive look, worn by singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson. Along with Wilson and Pierson, fellow vocalist Fred Schneider, drummer (and later guitarist) Keith Strickland, and guitarist Ricky Wilson (Cindy's older brother) formed the band after a drunken night at a Chinese restaurant. They shared a passion for mixing and matching older styles with a partying, good-time public image, which set them apart from many staid 70s contemporaries.
Their sound is particularly marked by the vocals of Wilson and Pierson, with Kate singing in a slightly deeper voice, along with the generally monotone or spoken-word vocals of Schneider. Aside from their vocals, the band also had a unique New Wave sound that was a combination of 50s and 60s dance music and surf rock, and the unusual guitar-string tunings utilized by Ricky Wilson. Although a clear part of said movement, their music was more experimental than most new wave groups, indulging in all manner of odd vocal and synthesizer effects. The B-52's created a quirky dance vibe that became very popular and their tours have been successful for decades.
Website= http://theb52s.com/
Devil In My Car
The B-52's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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!
oo, he ripped my upholstery.
He's at the weel.
Help! The devil's in my car.
Help! He's drivin' too far.
(scream!) Ooooooh!
Whoooa! 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 Cheverolet, 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! Oh! I'm sitting on his tail.
Oh-Ohh, I don't wanna go to Hell. (I don't wanna go to the devil.)
He's in my car, he's in my car, in my car, Ohhhhwaaaaahhh!
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 wanna go to hell. (I don't wanna go to the devil.)
He's in my car. Freeway to hell.
We're burnin' up the road. Freeway to Hell. (Right through the tollboth.)
We're burnin' up the road. Freeway to Hell. (Right through the guardrail.)
We're burnin' up the road. Freeway to Hell. (Across the median.)
We're burnin' up the road. Freeway to Hell.
We're burnin' up the road. Would you slow down?
I've got the devil juice in my CARburater!
I've got the devil in my cigarette lighter.
I don't need no battery. (I got the devil in my car.)
In my car. In my car-oh! In my car. In my car.
In my car. In my car. In my car
In The B-52's song "Devil In My Car," the singer is expressing just how desperate and scared he feels as he drives down the road with the devil beside him. The repetition of the phrase "Help! The devil's in my car" is a cry for assistance, but it goes unanswered. The lyrics vividly describe the chaos and destruction that's happening around him while being completely helpless to stop it. The singer is losing control of his vehicle as he speeds down the freeway at 90 miles per hour, while the devil rips up his upholstery and takes over the steering wheel. The singer begs and pleads for the devil to leave him alone, but ultimately, he is dragged down to hell in his old Chevrolet.
The song's lyrics are an allegory for drug abuse or addiction. The car represents a person's body, and the devil represents drugs. The drug becomes personified as something that takes control of the singer's life, and he is completely powerless to stop it. The song describes the chaos and destruction caused by drug addiction, but instead of seeking help, the singer continues down the path of self-destruction. The use of references to burning up the road and the transportation imagery of going down the freeway to hell reinforces the idea of drugs being a destructive force that leads the user to their doom.
Line by Line Meaning
Help! The devil's in my car.
The singer is in distress and feels like they are being controlled by the devil who is inside their car.
Ho, devil's in my car, whoa please.
The singer is shocked and scared that the devil is inside their car and begs for him to leave them alone.
Please! Leave me alone!
The singer pleads with the devil to leave them alone and stop controlling their actions.
We're really tearin' tar.
The car is moving very fast, likely disobeying speed limits and driving recklessly.
We're goin' 90 miles an hour.
The car is going significantly faster than the speed limit, putting the driver and passengers at risk.
Ho! He's drivin' me crazy.
The devil inside the car is taking control and driving the singer crazy.
He's drivin' me to Hell now.
The car, being driven by the devil, is taking the singer to Hell, either metaphorically or literally.
He's pointing his pitchfork at me.
The devil is threatening the artist with a pitchfork, a symbol of evil and suffering.
He's in the front seat of my car!
The devil is not just inside the car, but sitting in the front seat, indicating his control over the vehicle.
He's taking over!
The devil is gaining total control over the artist and the car.
oo, he ripped my upholstery.
The devil has caused physical damage to the car by ripping the upholstery, possibly as a sign of his destructive power.
Help! He's drivin' too far.
The devil is driving the car too far, possibly indicating that the artist is being taken too close to Hell.
(scream!) Ooooooh!
The singer is screaming in terror as they are dragged closer to Hell by the devil in their car.
Whoooa! I can't lock the door, I can't put on my safety belt.
The singer feels completely helpless, unable to protect themselves by locking the door or putting on a seatbelt.
There's nothing for me to do but yell HELP! Devil's in my car.
The singer is in a state of panic and feels like there is nothing they can do to stop the actions of the devil in their car.
I'm goin' to hell in my old Cheverolet, I don't know which way.
The artist fears that they are being taken to Hell in their car and has no control over which direction they are heading.
Oh Help! Devil's in my car. Yeah Yeah. He's gone too far.
The artist begs for help and feels like the devil has gone too far in his control of their car and actions.
I won't see ya tomorrow. I won't see ya anymore.
The singer is afraid that they will not survive the ride and will not see their loved ones again.
He's got his cloven hoof on the clutch.
The devil is controlling the car using his cloven hoof, a symbol of his demonic power.
Oh! Oh! I'm sitting on his tail.
The artist is physically in close contact with the devil, feeling as though they are sitting on his tail, further emphasizing his control over them.
He's in my car. Freeway to hell.
The artist is acknowledging the devil's control and believes that they are being taken on a direct path to Hell.
We're burnin' up the road. Freeway to Hell. (Right through the tollboth.)
The car and the devil are moving very quickly and are taking a route that will lead the artist straight to Hell, without regard for tolls or other obstacles.
We're burnin' up the road. Freeway to Hell. (Right through the guardrail.)
The devil and the car are driving without concern for safety, going through a guardrail and taking an even more direct route to Hell.
We're burnin' up the road. Freeway to Hell. (Across the median.)
The devil and the car are again disregarding safety and are driving on the wrong side of the road, taking a path that will lead them straight to Hell.
We're burnin' up the road. Freeway to Hell.
The singer is acknowledging that they are on a path to Hell and that they cannot stop the devil and the car from taking them there.
Would you slow down?
The singer is asking the devil to slow down the car, perhaps in a desperate attempt to try and regain control and prevent their journey to Hell.
I've got the devil juice in my CARburater!
The singer feels like the devil is controlling more than just the car, but also the engine's carburetor, a mechanical part of the car that combines fuel and air for combustion.
I've got the devil in my cigarette lighter.
The artist feels like the devil is even controlling the cigarette lighter, indicating that his influence is all-encompassing and inescapable.
I don't need no battery. (I got the devil in my car.)
The artist feels like the devil is the true power behind the car and that it doesn't need a battery because he is in control.
In my car. In my car-oh! In my car. In my car. In my car. In my car.
The singer repeats the phrase 'In my car' multiple times, emphasizing the devil's control over the vehicle and the urgency of the situation.
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