Live 29 Sep 1996 version
[Spoken intro:] I was going through this Guthrie songbook, and I was kind of excited because I said, "hmm, automobiles." That's my business. Mr. Guthrie, no disrespect, but that's my business, right? (chuckles) And then, I came on of course...
Brm-brm-br-brm-br-br-br-brm-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-brm-brm
Brm-brm-br-brm-br-br-br-brm-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-brm-brm
Take you riding in my car, car
Take you riding in my car, car
Take you riding in my car, car
I'll take you riding in my car
The horn on my car goes a-beep beep beep
The horn on my car goes beep beep beep
The horn on the car goes beep beep beep
Take you riding in my car, now
Brm-brm-br-brm-br-br-br-brm-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-brm-brm
Brm-brm-br-brm-br-br-br-brm-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-brm-brm
Brm-brm-br-brm-br-br-br-brm-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-brm-brm
Brm-brm-br-brm-br-br-br-brm-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-brm-brm
Yeah, the door on my car goes clickity-clack
Door on the car goes clickity-clack
Door on my car goes clickity-clack
Take you riding in my car, car
Trees and the houses pass, pass along
Trees and the houses they roll along
Trees and the houses they roll along
I'll take you riding in my car, car
Brm-brm-br-brm-br-br-br-brm-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-brm-brm
Brm-brm-br-brm-br-br-br-brm-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-brm-brm
Brm-brm-br-brm-br-br-br-brm-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-br-brm-brm
Take you riding in my car, car
[Spoken outro:] Shit, why didn't I think of that.
RIDING IN MY CAR is a song by Woody Guthrie. See the original Woody Guthrie version for more details.
The above lyrics are for the live 29 Sep 1996 performance of RIDING IN MY CAR at Severance Hall in Cleveland, OH, during a Woody Guthrie tribute concert. The song was played in a solo acoustic guitar arrangement. This live 29 Sep 1996 version of RIDING IN MY CAR was officially released in 2000 on the various artists album 'Til We Outnumber 'Em.
In September 1996 Cleveland's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum and Case Western Reserve University cohosted "Hard Travelin': The Life And Legacy Of Woody Guthrie", a 10-day conference of panel sessions, lectures, and concerts to remember, honor, and celebrate the songs of Woody Guthrie. The conference became the first in what would become the museum's annual American Music Masters Series conference.
The conference concluded on 29 Sep 1996 with an all-star tribute concert at Severance Hall in Cleveland, OH. Billed "Hard Travelin': A Benefit Concert", the Sunday night concert was a collaboration between the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum and the Woody Guthrie Archives. It was hosted by Tim Robbins and featured several performers who came to pay tribute to Woody Guthrie, including Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Billy Bragg, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, and David Priner.
The first six songs feature Springsteen solo or in the lead role while the last four songs feature Springsteen in a support/background role.
In 2000, Ani DiFranco's record label, Righteous Babe, released a selection of 11 songs from the Severance Hall concert, along with snippets of spoken words by and about Guthrie from the conference, on the various artists Woody Guthrie tribute album 'Til We Outnumber 'Em. DiFranco produced and mixed the album, with proceeds going to benefit the Woodiy Guthrie Archives. Bruce Springsteen appears on four songs on the album: HARD TRAVELIN' HOOTENANNY, RIDING IN MY CAR, PLANE WRECK AT LOS GATOS (DEPORTEE), and THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND.
Nora Guthrie, the curator of her father's archives, told Backstreets magazine, "I had been trying to get a couple of record labels to record the concert, because I had a feeling it was going to be something really special. And everyone was rejecting me, telling me I didn't have a show." According to her, the assistance of Springsteen and his entire sound and lighting crew, as well as the persistence, tenacity and funding of Ani DiFranco and her manager Scott Fisher, made it possible. "We were taping the show, thanks to Bruce," Guthrie explained, "who had given us all of his sound equipment and technicians to use. He brought his whole crew, and they did the lighting, the sound. They did everything. It would have cost us a lot of money. I can't tell you how much money he saved us. He basically produced the show. And a light bulb went off, and I realized that this was going to be such an incredible night, and we owned the tapes. As soon as the concert was over I ran to Ani and from that moment, we knew this was going to be a CD."
RIDING IN MY CAR was performed off-tour on 29 Sep 1996 at Severance Hall in Cleveland, OH, during a Woody Guthrie tribute concert. The song was played in an acoustic guitar arrangement. This live 29 Sep 1996 version of RIDING IN MY CAR was officially released in 2000 on the various artists album 'Til We Outnumber 'Em.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of RIDING IN MY CAR on this website:
RIDING IN MY CAR [Live 29 Sep 1996 version]