Help me name this song - Wanna go for a ride

[McNutt]

I can't think of the song (older rock song) where the music cuts and the singer says "wanna go for a ride."

Google keeps pointing me to new songs. I know I'm going to feel like an idiot, but I'm cool looking like an idiot in front of you fine folk.

[Smoove_B]

If by "older rock song" you mean 1995.

[McNutt]

That's it! Thanks

[Holman]

Sounds you like you found it, but the best delivery of "wanna go for a ride" is in The Magnetic Fields' "The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side" (from the magnificent 69 Love Songs):

(Wait for it...)

[Exodor]

If by "older rock song" you mean 1995.

1995 was 29 years ago. When that song was released would you have called a song from 1966 "older"?


We're the olds now.

[Holman]

If by "older rock song" you mean 1995.

1995 was 29 years ago. When that song was released would you have called a song from 1966 "older"?

Definitely. Big songs of 1966 included "Paint It Black," "Good Vibrations," and "Eleanor Rigby."

[Smoove_B]

We're the olds now.

Totally. Though when I hear people say "older rock song" my mind would go back to the 70s...not 1995.

[Holman]

I guess it's also true that musical era-time isn't strictly linear. I would have to admit that the 1990s are still more "current" to modern music than the 1960s were to the 1990s (while the music of the 1930s was ancient history to the 1960s in ways the 1960s weren't to the 1990s).

[McNutt]

I was trying to say that it's not a current song.

[Rumpy]

Feels weird calling something from the MTV era old

[Punisher]

If by "older rock song" you mean 1995.

1995 was 29 years ago. When that song was released would you have called a song from 1966 "older"?


We're the olds now.

I'm not old I'm seasoned!

[Unagi]

I was trying to say that it's not a current song.

They don't look old honey - I would just say they aren't like "current breasts", ya know?

[Chraolic]

Feels weird calling something from the MTV era old

It is old. Ice-T is 65 years old by now, and it didn't happen overnight.

[YellowKing]

I realized I was old when the Spotify DJ told me he was going to play some classic rock I listened to when I was younger. I was expecting Led Zeppelin or Boston and he trotted out Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots.

[Rumpy]

Feels weird calling something from the MTV era old

It is old. Ice-T is 65 years old by now, and it didn't happen overnight.

Well, we're only as old as we feel, right?

[Daehawk]

Always been a fan of the Pumpkins. Ya Billy has gone through troubles and self doubt but the music was always pretty good.

[YellowKing]

If you've seen recent interviews with Billy Corgan, he's mellowed out a lot and freely admits he was a total asshole back in the day. I've been really impressed with how he's grown out of his bad boy rock star persona. He seems like he's genuinely trying to make amends with his past.

[Jeff V]

I guess it's also true that musical era-time isn't strictly linear. I would have to admit that the 1990s are still more "current" to modern music than the 1960s were to the 1990s (while the music of the 1930s was ancient history to the 1960s in ways the 1960s weren't to the 1990s).

This is because there was a major shift with the advent of rock'n'roll, an entire new genre compared with the folk, jazz (big band), and classical that was more popular in olden times. While rock/pop has evolved tremendously since it's early days, it hasn't shifted into something so different that a time traveler from the 60's would say "WTF?" listening to a modern rock/pop radio station.

Years ago, I went to a Devo concert -- I was in my 40's at the time, and was surprised to see teenagers in the audience. I actually asked one nearby, why? They credited their parents for playing it when they were growing up. I never would have gone to see Don Ho just because my mom had all his albums. Around the same time, I was doing a project that required travel around the country, and 3-4 times I was paired with a young Thai DBA who seemed to have a remarkable knowledge of music from my younger days. But there were gaps that were surprising -- I recall her not being aware of the Talking Heads song, Swamp, even though it played a prominent role in Tom Cruise's first movie, Risky Business.

And BTW, my son likes Devo. My daughter, OTOH, likes Taylor Swift Last year she heard a Caamp song on the radio and said, "Daddy, I didn't know boys can sing!"

[McNutt]

You were surprised that a young Thai girl didn't know a lesser-known Talking Heads song?

[Sudy]

If you've seen recent interviews with Billy Corgan, he's mellowed out a lot and freely admits he was a total asshole back in the day. I've been really impressed with how he's grown out of his bad boy rock star persona. He seems like he's genuinely trying to make amends with his past.

Was that before or after he became an ardently libertarian wrestling promoter?

[Blackhawk]

FWIW, I was an American teen in the 80s, and I was not aware of said song. I've seen Risky Business, and I wouldn't have recognized the song or been able to identify it if I'd heard it.

And I'd argue that rock was an evolution of swing/jazz, not a brand new genre. Certain musicians from the time rock was being born easily straddle the line between the genres. Louis Jordan, for example.

I grew up listening to music that was current alongside music stretching back to the 30s, and every decade in between. My own thought is that the difference in what a few decades represents is more about the cultural shift than the artistic changes. The music of the 1940s was the music of a culture that the young people of the 1970s were far removed from, while elements of the culture of the 70s still remain relevant today.

I think you'd find a similar situation if you were in the 30s looking back at the music of at the turn of the century.

[YellowKing]

I was paired with a young Thai DBA who seemed to have a remarkable knowledge of music from my younger days.

I was at a Halloween party last year and happened to be sitting near this 8-year old kid I didn't know and he's like "Do you like music?" So I replied, "Sure, of course." So we start talking about favorite bands. I'm thinking this is going to be a short conversation. But not only does he know every band I named from the 90s (Radiohead, R.E.M. Alice in Chains, etc.) he starts laying down his favorites - Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Black Sabbath.

I sat there for 20 minutes talking to this kid and I realize I'm talking to some sort of musical savant. He was frighteningly smart for his age, and could name the band members and albums of about anyone I mentioned. That kid was super cool. I never did find out who his parents were as he left early. But whoever they were, good job mom and dad!

[Alefroth]

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs is a pretty good podcast.

[Exodor]

I was at a Halloween party last year and happened to be sitting near this 8-year old kid I didn't know and he's like "Do you like music?" So I replied, "Sure, of course." So we start talking about favorite bands. I'm thinking this is going to be a short conversation. But not only does he know every band I named from the 90s (Radiohead, R.E.M. Alice in Chains, etc.) he starts laying down his favorites - Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Black Sabbath.

I sat there for 20 minutes talking to this kid and I realize I'm talking to some sort of musical savant. He was frighteningly smart for his age, and could name the band members and albums of about anyone I mentioned. That kid was super cool. I never did find out who his parents were as he left early. But whoever they were, good job mom and dad!

It's a different world for kids these days - they have every song from the last 60 years or so available instantly on Spotify. Not every kid is that into older music but there's no longer the barrier to hearing it like when we grew up. Our musical exposure was limited to what was on the radio, what friends might have on hand and what our parents had purchased.

[hitbyambulance]

Feels weird calling something from the MTV era old

It is old. Ice-T is 65 years old by now, and it didn't happen overnight.

it's actually Tracy Lauren Marrow's birthday on Friday and he turns 66!

also of note:

Cyndi Lauper is now 70 years old
Debbie Harry is now 78 years old

[Jeff V]

You were surprised that a young Thai girl didn't know a lesser-known Talking Heads song?

I was surprised she knew so many songs from that era and before, that one seemed an unusual gap. We hung out one night at a piano bar in Grand Rapids once, and she was content with the mostly oldies being played.