Hot Rod
The Collins Kids Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm only fourteen, but I'm goin' on fifteen
But I wanna be sixteen, so I can get me a hot rod
I want a streamline chassis, man it's gotta be classy
I' m gonna give it that certain touch
With a little bit of Von Dutch
I found a real cute baby, she's a real swingin' baby
And she says we'll go steady just
As soon as I get me a hot rod

I'm gonna take her for a moonlight drive
Across Mullholland Drive, then we'll really be alive
As soon as I get me a hot rod
With my baby sittin' close to me
We'll do a little draggin' don't you see
We'll even lay a path for you and me
As soon as I get me a hot rod




Yeah, I'm only fourteen, but I'm goin' on fifteen
But I wanna be sixteen, so I can get me a hot rod

Overall Meaning

The Collins Kids's song "Hot Rod" is a classic rockabilly tune about the dream of owning a hot rod. The singer of the song is a fourteen-year-old boy who is eagerly anticipating his sixteenth birthday, which will make him old enough to own and drive a hot rod. He describes his ideal car as having a streamline chassis and a touch of the famous customizer Von Dutch. The song's narrator also has a girlfriend who he wants to impress with his new hot rod, taking her for a moonlight drive across Mullholland Drive and showing off their drag racing skills.


"Hot Rod" is a quintessential example of the rockabilly sub-genre, which emerged in the 1950s and blended elements of rock and roll, country, blues, and boogie-woogie. The song features a prominent rhythm guitar riff and driving bassline, as well as a lively vocal performance by The Collins Kids. The lyrics also reflect the rebellious spirit of rockabilly, with the singer longing to break free from parental supervision and defy the norms of society.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm only fourteen, but I'm goin' on fifteen
Despite being young, the singer is already looking forward to what he wants to achieve as he continues to grow older.


But I wanna be sixteen, so I can get me a hot rod
The singer longs for a car that he can use to travel and show off to others.


I want a streamline chassis, man it's gotta be classy
The singer desires a vehicle that is aesthetically pleasing and stylish.


I' m gonna give it that certain touch
The artist plans on customizing the car to make it unique and personal to him.


With a little bit of Von Dutch
The artist plans on adding a personal touch to the car that reflects his style and personality.


I found a real cute baby, she's a real swingin' baby
The singer has found a significant other who he wants to impress with his new car.


And she says we'll go steady just
The singer's significant other is waiting for him to attain his ideal car before they commit to being together.


As soon as I get me a hot rod
The artist is determined to acquire the car as soon as possible in order to win over his significant other.


I'm gonna take her for a moonlight drive
The artist envisions romantic nights spent cruising around in his hot rod with his significant other.


Across Mullholland Drive, then we'll really be alive
The artist imagines driving through a scenic route with his significant other to heighten their enjoyment and appreciation of the experience.


With my baby sittin' close to me
The singer anticipates having his significant other ride alongside him so they can both enjoy the drive together.


We'll do a little draggin' don't you see
The artist envisions racing with his hot rod and impressing his significant other with his driving skills.


We'll even lay a path for you and me
The singer plans on blazing a trail with his significant other while driving in his hot rod.


Yeah, I'm only fourteen, but I'm goin' on fifteen
The singer is young, but he is already imagining and planning for his future with his ideal car and significant other.




Writer(s): Lorrie Collins, Larry A Collins

Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Bullslukaren

I'm only fourteen, but I'm goin' on fifteen
But I wanna be sixteen, so I can get me a hot rod
I want a streamline chassis, man it's gotta be classy
I' m gonna give it that certain touch
With a little bit of Von Dutch
I found a real cute baby, she's a real swingin' baby
And she says we'll go steady just
As soon as I get me a hot rod

I'm gonna take her for a moonlight drive
Across Mullholland Drive, then we'll really be alive
As soon as I get me a hot rod
With my baby sittin' close to me
We'll do a little draggin' don't you see
We'll even lay a path for you and me
As soon as I get me a hot rod
Yeah, I'm only fourteen, but I'm goin' on fifteen
But I wanna be sixteen, so I can get me a hot rod



All comments from YouTube:

Stephen Hardy

This is unreal. How were these kids not huge

itoldjaso

@shoknifeman2 mikado Also, "Western Ranch Party" and "Town Hall Party", the two shows that they were regulars on, were regional shows-----not east of the Mississippi

shoknifeman2 mikado

They had the misfortune of signing with a label that didn't know what to do with them. Said label was run, at the time, by Mitch Miller, who hated R&R and not only tried to countrify them (And take away all the energy of their live performances), which killed sales, but never took them seriously and forced them to record a series of "novelty" songs, that bombed in the market.

66bgrs

greatest rockabilly band ever wow what talent!

J Herrador

What can l say?
Jaw dropping!!!
10 out of ten & above!

Donald Ewert

I'm enjoying this in 2021, they were So Talented and way before I was born!!!

quieterrps

What a marvel! Love this tune...! Thx!

Johan Pedersen

Great music !

J Spann

Larry Collins was taught guitar by the great Joe Maphis.

ProudRockabillyRebel

Great! Hillbilly, Rock 'n' Roll, Rockabilly or whatever we can call this, it's great! And, as they would have said in the 50's: "Good, clean family entertainment!", maybe? Probably was deemed as the devil's music by some misguided people... ;)

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