A Travelin’ Music homage to trusty Ol’ Blue
Until this week, I could brag that I was still on my first wife and my first car.
Not any longer. I’m keeping my girl as long as she’ll have me, but we’ve officially parted ways with the 1980 Toyota Corolla — “Old Blue” — that we bought new off the lot more than 30 years ago. Over the years, it had become part of the family, part of the landscape in which we lived. Our two daughters — both off on lives of their own by now — expressed shock and disbelief at the announcement. And when my wife posted the news on Facebook, the responses varied from surprise to melancholy:
“Omg you still had that car!!?!! Whoa!!”
“Ohhh, not the Little Engine That Could! I remember it well…in fact, can’t imagine you without it.”
“WOW! The car I learned how to drive standard with in Oregon. Even Mai is getting teary eyed now and she never sat in it.”
“Jay looks a little sad in that photo, if you ask me. I always liked the beautiful blue color of that car, and I remember the joy of driving it one time when you let me borrow it to go out on a story when my car was in the shop. I understand your sentimentality. Mary cried when we sold our blue van that our kids grew up with and that took us on many a vacation.”
The car has seen a lot of road, some of it rough and some of it smooth, just like the rest of us. And while the air conditioner’s busted, the radio doesn’t work, the headlight switch is fickle and it’s got some dings in it, the engine is sound and she’s got a lot of miles still in her.
They just won’t come with me driving it. She ended up in good hands, sold to a college-student friend in need of transportation who’s willing to give her the care she needs. I’m sure we’ll still see her from time to time, and smile when we do.
So of course, all of that’s just a long-winded way of saying that tonight’s theme is … car songs!
– Jay Bookman
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
357 comments Add your comment
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
6:50 pm
BTW, Jay–You need to work on that posture.
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
6:52 pm
Since I ride one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_4xNTBL0EY
Soothsayer
July 22nd, 2011
6:52 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS70tCPP-_4
JamVet
July 22nd, 2011
6:54 pm
BRW, ah man, I’m so sorry. Hang tough. For you and him…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WP2exZurfc
out of the blue
July 22nd, 2011
6:55 pm
Anybody here for a little “modern day Romance”?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAwby3bIR40
wet wiccan
July 22nd, 2011
7:01 pm
for hillbilly – wherever he is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDbON8udTPo&feature=related
JamVet
July 22nd, 2011
7:01 pm
Oh hellyeah, wiccan. Some heartfelt harmony in that one. I thought of it earlier and was likely gonna cue it up.
Thanks for making me listen to it!
Be shocked my brother B. I had pondered some Neil, but had not yet played any. That one really touches my musical soul. And besides it’s a great one to sing along to!
And sweet one, Sooth. Thank little pop gem really
JamVet
July 22nd, 2011
7:02 pm
Fumble fingered that last, Sooth. But hell, everybody loves that Prince ditty…
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
7:03 pm
Thn there is this one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkXKEKDG6oY
kayaker 71
July 22nd, 2011
7:06 pm
I have a pair of boots that the crew on the drilling rig in West Texas bought me in 1955. Cate’s boot shop, Hobbs, NM. They’ve been soled and healed more times then I can count but still feel like a 56 yr old pair of boots should. Stove pipe uppers, 7 row stitching and as Toby Keith says, “The finest boots on the Boulevard.” Just like all of the tea shirts with holes, the flip flops that are broken in in just right….. it’s hard to part with ‘em.
JamVet
July 22nd, 2011
7:08 pm
And maybe I’ll love you…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ts2U1mkfz4
Paulo977
July 22nd, 2011
7:09 pm
CAR CLASSICS!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6aDh51obkU
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
7:09 pm
Jam–I’m assuming you knew the story behind “Long May You Run”, but if not, Neil wrote is as an ode to his car.
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
7:11 pm
OK, Ok…this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl9bvuAV-Ao
josef
July 22nd, 2011
7:13 pm
Normal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g266Uwp6ZnI&NR=1
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
7:14 pm
This “car” song was so good, they made a movie about it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1lRulMdB1o
Was there a better decade than the 70s??
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
7:15 pm
Brother Normal–Solid @ 7:11.
poison pen
July 22nd, 2011
7:16 pm
carlosgvv
poison pen
” Do you not know that almost all of those cars have been rescued from junk yard and restored? Jay bought his car and it kept running all these years. This is more than you can say for 1980 Detriot iron.”
Carlos, You are the first person to always complain about big business and them going overseas, maybe if you bought American you would have a job.
I see many old cars in Georgia that are still running and don’t look to bad.
Keep buying foreign and keep telling yourself that it doesn’t hurt our economy & country, you may actually start believing it.
It’s all big business fault
It’s all big business fault
It’s all big business fault.
wet wiccan
July 22nd, 2011
7:19 pm
another cadillac song …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWHniL8MyMM&feature=related
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
7:20 pm
Never too late to get on the bus, JamVet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYP2B0ommV0&feature=related
The bus came by and I got on
That’s when it all began
There was cowboy Neal
At the wheel
Of a bus to never-ever land
josef
July 22nd, 2011
7:24 pm
kayaker
Mine aren’t quite that old…1971 on a trip to Mexico…the stories they could tell. They’ve been to the symphony in Houston and a few juke joint brawls…youngest boy says I’m to leave them to him in the will…I have…
JamVet
July 22nd, 2011
7:26 pm
Wow. Magic Bus. Niiiiiiiiice, Normal.
josef
July 22nd, 2011
7:28 pm
wiccan
another cadillac song…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuJSFoV201w
Soothsayer
July 22nd, 2011
7:28 pm
Not really a car song, but . . . (best watched in full-screen mode.)
Message from Matti
July 22nd, 2011
7:32 pm
Here’s a most awesome car-based movie scene! Also, it beautifully depicts the behavior of Congressional Republicans today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z88U915uq8
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
7:33 pm
I thought you liberals were all about compassion?? Not everyone can afford a car, you know:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW18CzVzts4
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
7:35 pm
Uh, Thelma and Louise, Matti?? No self-respecting male would ever admit to watching that movie.
out of the blue
July 22nd, 2011
7:37 pm
In ‘67 driving south to Baja my girlfried and I pulled over in Haight Asbury where we heard that Jimi Hendrix, Country Joe, Pete Townsend, Jeff airplane, Big Brother w/Janis Joplin, among others such as the Mamas & Papas, Buffalo Springfield were all to appear at what was called the “summer of love concert. better known as “The Monterey
pop Fest”
This is one group who totally blew my mind (maybe it was the Mexican gold I was smokin’) but here they are.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAHODyEpm2w
After a night of
md
July 22nd, 2011
7:39 pm
In honor of Ol Blue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvhXSvqjH9g
(Still not safe in a japanese car)
Message from Matti
July 22nd, 2011
7:39 pm
Bruno,
That’s why I gave y’all a snippet. The brief snippet has all the movie elements guys like. (Except for the rape scene. That comes earlier.)
md
July 22nd, 2011
7:41 pm
OK guys…late to the party……I’m gonna start putting the name of the song on my post….too many to tell if something has already been posted……….
Soothsayer
July 22nd, 2011
7:41 pm
Out of the Blue: haven’t heard that Quicksilver song in years. Went straight to bookmarks. Thanks for playing it.
JamVet
July 22nd, 2011
7:43 pm
That Dead was very cool, B. Interesting, with lots of variations and grooves, and great musicianship. Definitely head music, especially the last minute or so.
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
7:44 pm
Out of the blue,
I’ve told thios before, but I was getting ready to ship out to Viet Nam the following Monday after Monterey, and we were told that the festival was off limits to military personell…but I wanted to go get stoned, laid and enjoy the vibes….I mean. what were they going to do…cut my hair and send me to ‘Nam?
Which reminds me…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXenEK0h6qg
wet wiccan
July 22nd, 2011
7:46 pm
josef – thanks, I always like an Eagles song
md
July 22nd, 2011
7:48 pm
How about some Paul revere and the Raiders…….SS 396
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=170KHrkVYFo
JamVet
July 22nd, 2011
7:49 pm
jo, that Eagles song really does make me think they were the “greatest” American band of their era. Arguably of all time. And that is just one song on that amazing album…
md, and why it’s cool if you repeat. (Someone will rag on ya. Grin.)
josef
July 22nd, 2011
7:50 pm
BRUNO
“No self-respecting male would ever admit to watching that movie. ”
Ah, so that explains why you’ve seen it nine times!
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
7:51 pm
Josef,
Now I’ve got that dang motorcycle/pickle song stuck in my head!
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
7:53 pm
josef
July 22nd, 2011
7:50 pm
I’ve seen it a few times too, mostly with my wife. When the girls drive over the cliff, I look at my wife and ask, “how come you never do that?”
Soothsayer
July 22nd, 2011
7:54 pm
Normal’s Vietnam story made me think of this one
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
7:55 pm
Ah, so that explains why you’ve seen it nine times!
Ah, guess again, josef.
I will admit that some chick P-whipped me into watching “Crash”. Worst F’ing movie ever written.
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
7:55 pm
I’m out for a bit but before I go, this one is dedicated to Congress…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhhtRxqSrys
md
July 22nd, 2011
7:56 pm
And a different side to Keith Richards………..Deuce and a Quarter….and a Cadillac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0jpqF1uolk&playnext=1&list=PL016BB5EB41AB3FCF
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
7:57 pm
Sooth…one of my favorites…thanks!
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:00 pm
Scout @ 5:11–One of my first cars was a 1968 Olds 98 with a 455, 4-barrel rocket engine. Paid $100 for it. The inside was like a luxury suite at the Ritz-Carlton. When you stomped on the gas, you could actually watch the gas gauge needle dropping. I think I got 8 mpg with that beast.
Soothsayer
July 22nd, 2011
8:00 pm
md: I kept looking and looking and thinking that sure does sound like Levon Helm singing lead but he was not in the “headline” and then I noticed the “Band” which explains it.
josef
July 22nd, 2011
8:04 pm
Okay, Bruno, if nobody else will, here ya go…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b53EbA1NBRk&feature=related
md
July 22nd, 2011
8:05 pm
Sorry Sooth…didn’t mean to mislead……bet they had a lot of fun………
wet wiccan
July 22nd, 2011
8:06 pm
a song for for anyone who has sweet memories of being way down deep in the back seat…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ilbS0C5Ku4
1811/0311
July 22nd, 2011
8:07 pm
Headline: “Boehner breaks off talks with Obama”
The party’s over !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmO_04yYi9Q
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:08 pm
josef @ 8:04–I’m sure in no time flat it will be……
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn0ZJHVH17I&feature=related
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:09 pm
So where’s Dusty tonight?? She’ll be pleased to know that I’m a huge Braves fan tonight. I’m also a medium fan of the Diamondbacks.
GO BRAVOS!!!!!!!!!
stands for decibels
July 22nd, 2011
8:09 pm
Adios, amigo.
md
July 22nd, 2011
8:10 pm
Can’t…….help…..myself……(Jo did it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p5mAlQzA24&feature=related
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:11 pm
wet wiccan rockin’ the joint @ 8:06!!
josef
July 22nd, 2011
8:11 pm
Don’t know ’bout where y’all but over here the devil’s beatin’ his wife…
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
8:13 pm
Bruno, md…
then there’s this one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVrXmIAg1ns
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:14 pm
Alright, md, nothing like piling on!!
And for the record, Normal, she’s 20. At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
@@
July 22nd, 2011
8:14 pm
DANG, jay…if that picture was taken in front of your house, you need to contact the county road department. It’s in bad shape…a rough road.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEtL3d9I9xQ
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:15 pm
Great job everyone. Only 8:15 and already 160 entries.
TruthBe
July 22nd, 2011
8:15 pm
Jay I know how you feel. I had a 1966 dodge dart with a slant six motor in College that had over 300 thousand miles on it when we sold it to a old man who is still driving it in California. Great little car with many good memories. Good luck Jay with your new car.
the original and still the best John Galt
July 22nd, 2011
8:16 pm
Toyota’s the best. I have had nine of them, starting with a 1973 Corolla. Every one of them has lasted for many, many miles, to be handed down to relatives, or used for good trade-ins, except for one truck I wrecked. The 1986 truck I had was still going strong with 300,000 miles on it last I knew.
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:17 pm
if that picture was taken in front of your house, you need to contact the county road department. It’s in bad shape…a rough road.
I don’t know where Jay lives, but the terrain looks like either Ansley Park or Morningside to me, @@. They have a city ordinance that you have to be ultra-liberal to live in either of those neighborhoods.
out of the blue
July 22nd, 2011
8:17 pm
“Was there a better decade than the 70s??”?
Bruno if you are talkin’ music…You’ve got to be kidding right?
Except for a few bands most of 70’s was comprised of ‘60 rockers who overlapped into the 70’s.
Think about it…Neil Young, CSN, Bob Dylan, The Who, Simon & Garfunkel,
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane (aka The Starship), The Band, Neil Diamond, Jimi Hendrix, Big Brother & the holding co with Janis Joplin, Van Morrison and Cat Stevens, Then the entire Stax and Mowtown Stars..Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Smoky Robinson, The Supremes. Must I go on and on?
Soothsayer
July 22nd, 2011
8:19 pm
Josef, that Lovin Spoonful song made me think of this one.
OldTimer
July 22nd, 2011
8:20 pm
A 50 year old man sold a 30 year old car to a college student!
Sir, may you burn in hell.
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:21 pm
josef (Ringo)–I’m surprised you didn’t hit me up with this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4×19vy_9aFc
P.S. @@–Did you catch my late night post to you?? A veritable riptide, I say.
Disgusted
July 22nd, 2011
8:22 pm
BTW, that car Neil Young wrote “Long May You Run” about? It was a hearse he named Mortimer Hearseburg—Mort for short. I always knew that guy was weird.
Message from Matti
July 22nd, 2011
8:23 pm
Did somebody say something about the back seat?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lvytVwq04c
Soothsayer
July 22nd, 2011
8:26 pm
That reggae song got me to thinkin’ about this one.
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:26 pm
out of the blue:
(1) Loved that QMS selection a little while ago.
(2) A lot of great artists may have started in the 60s, but reached musical maturity in the 70s. E.g. Traffic.
Back at ya with some great Randy California licks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHDJh2HHssU
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:28 pm
Guys, even if you can’t stand Spirit, you gotta watch this video to check out the 60s chicks ^^^^^^^^
Of course, josef, you’re excused.
JamVet
July 22nd, 2011
8:29 pm
Great show by Stephen Robert Nesta Marley earlier this week…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tCHIFEo3W0&feature=related
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
8:29 pm
Ok front seats too…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN_YjM4V4fc&feature=related
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:30 pm
Did somebody say something about the back seat?
Is that where you did your Bible studies, Matti?? I thought I kept hearing cries of “Oh, God, yeeeeeees!!!!”
Message from Matti
July 22nd, 2011
8:30 pm
Here’s a highway number, but don’t click this unless you wanna slow it down and go deep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jA13XYlWHc
wet wiccan
July 22nd, 2011
8:33 pm
Alright Matti!! (high five)
Soothsayer
July 22nd, 2011
8:36 pm
Normal: great Meatloaf song! Went straight to the bookmarks!
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
8:36 pm
Just came back in from the grill…had to play this one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6UJPq2VfAI&feature=related
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
8:37 pm
Bruno…glad to please.
josef
July 22nd, 2011
8:37 pm
wiccan
Okay, in hunkered down in the back seat with my own Gypsy Prince…wish it was a bit more romantic, but, well, this IS what came on the radio and, what would YOU have done…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs6gnsAtjXw
so that video may have had the Gypsy prince Charlie, but, change the pronouns and try to ignore the somewhat stereotypic visuals, but this is the one from that time and place that stayed in my head
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StC5lwA2snM&feature=related
Normal
July 22nd, 2011
8:38 pm
Sorry, meant SOOTH…geeze
Soothsayer
July 22nd, 2011
8:38 pm
Always my favorite LS song!
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:41 pm
I had a 1966 dodge dart with a slant six motor in College that had over 300 thousand miles on it when we sold it to a old man who is still driving it in California.
TruthBe–My third car was a 1968 Dart with a slant six. You could hardly kill that engine even if you tried. I threw a rod while traveling from New Jersey to Georgia, and the damn thing drove another 600 miles before it died on the side of the road in SC.
Message from Matti
July 22nd, 2011
8:42 pm
Soothsayer,
Aaaaaaahhhhhh! Ain’t NO WAY to drive the speed limit with the Breeze cranked and rollin’!
stands for decibels
July 22nd, 2011
8:42 pm
Barely skimmed the musical selections but I bet nobody’s posted this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01DlzMUM5ck
she gives him love on the leatherette
steamin’ up the glass because I’ve seen ‘er
But she only loves him
because he’s got a Cortina…
(a similarly vintaged song as Jay’s dearly departed. About a car nearly as ugly, and loveable, as that Corolla.)
josef
July 22nd, 2011
8:43 pm
BRUNO
I got you and your chicks…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxiOPouWU40
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:43 pm
JamVet–You got a big kick out of this one when I put it up a while back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c93aaCza_dY
We left for Frisco in your Rambler
The radiator running dry
I’ve never been much of a gambler
and had a preference to fly
You said “forget about the airline,
let’s take the car and save the fare.”
We blew a gasket on the Grapevine
and eighty dollars on repairs
out of the blue
July 22nd, 2011
8:44 pm
Bruno Thanks for enjoying that little ditty, but I have to question the
maturity of Traffic in the 70’s. In fact I posess the John Barleycorn
must die CD. Having said that, you do no that Traffic disbanded in 1969 with Winwood joining Blind Faith. Then the group minus Winwood regrouped only to disband again 1n 1975….Doesn’t sound like a maturing group to me. BTW I’m not trying to be snarky, Just pointing out some facts!
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:45 pm
Sorry, meant SOOTH…geeze
Well, screw you, then!!
BRW
July 22nd, 2011
8:47 pm
Thanks JamVet, They played “Help Me Rhonda” at his funeral, based on an old very funny story about him and some of his “batchelor” buddies in the 70’s. Made us laugh and cry in the same moment.
JamVet
July 22nd, 2011
8:49 pm
Real trippy, hippy stuff with the Spirit. Killer band, B…
Normal, you’re on fire. And with that Rundgren produced Bat out of Hell, this goes out to the ladies. (Backseat or front seat!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj3tm8JyZFk
cmac22
July 22nd, 2011
8:49 pm
Good to see the peace loving muslims are at it again in Norway.
carlosgvv
July 22nd, 2011
8:50 pm
poison pen
1. If Big Business had any patriotism at all, jobs would NOT have gone overseas in the first place. And, if they had any real business sense, they would have known that building sorry cars was an invitation for overseas car makers to come to these shores.
2. In addition to not knowing anything about business and politics, you have demonstrated to us all that you know nothing about autos.
3. At some point, you will learn NEVER cross verbal swords with me. You will lose everytime.
wet wiccan
July 22nd, 2011
8:52 pm
josef -
That’s the great thing about music, the song makes you remember.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AygRmWnow1w&ob=av3e
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:52 pm
Sooth @ 8:38–I prefer the original JJ Cale version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlppIdtLw5A
Bonzo
July 22nd, 2011
8:53 pm
Can commisserate. Just blew the transmission on my 2004 Corolla with 245K, no A/C, screwed up close/lighter fuses. Got me everywhere on the East Coast (I travel for a living); snowstorms, straightline winds, the Cross-Bronx, the Downtown Connector, the DC Beltway ad nauseum. It’s like a part of my being; I lost an ‘85 Tercel with 186K on it (first job, girlfriend, etc) when lightning hit a Burger King and a piece of the burning roof fell onto the hood. Going for another Toyota. When the US figures out how to make a reliable, fuel efficient (43 mph on the road) vehicle, I’ll consider buying one.
Bruno
July 22nd, 2011
8:58 pm
carlosgv–Thanks for the comedy relief.
Soothsayer
July 22nd, 2011
8:58 pm
Bruno: I have to agree. Its got more of that Nawlins “boogey-woogey” feel than LS’s version. That one’s going to the bookmark for sure! Did J.J. Cale write that song?