Photo: © Craig Piersma
Few things are more American than the iconic luxury of a Cadillac car or the pounding rhythm of rock ‘n’ roll. Read on (and listen on) for five instances where the two crossed paths in classic songs.
Uncompromising Luxury: Learn more about Cadillac’s lineup of sophisticated sedans
- Maybellene
- Cadillac Walk
- Brand New Cadillac
- Cadillac Ranch
- Long White Cadillac
Chuck Berry, “Maybellene”
With a heavy beat, overdriven guitar, and lyrics about love gone wrong and dueling hot rods (including a Cadillac Coupe De Ville), “Maybellene” practically defines rock ‘n’ roll. After Chuck Berry recorded this strutting, unstoppable song in 1955, music would never be the same.
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Mink DeVille, “Cadillac Walk”
As if naming themselves after a Cadillac wasn’t enough, the band Mink DeVille also recorded one of the most seductive songs referencing the auto brand. “My baby’s got the Cadillac walk” goes the chorus of this 1977 song, all slinky rhythm and propulsive energy.
The Clash, “Brand New Cadillac”
Unfortunately for the narrator of this song, his baby got a “Brand New Cadillac” and promptly ditched him. Originally recorded by British rocker Vince Taylor in 1959, this hard-hitting rockabilly song was covered by The Clash for their epic 1979 double album London Calling.
Bruce Springsteen, “Cadillac Ranch”
Speaking of double albums, this rollicking rocker showed up on Bruce Springsteen’s 1980 classic The River. While “Pink Cadillac” is probably Bruce Springsteen’s most famous song referencing the famous luxury brand, this one packs a harder punch, especially once you realize what The Boss is really singing about: the inevitability of death.
The Blasters, “Long White Cadillac”
“I’m all alone/Sitting in the back/Of a long white Cadillac,” mourns the unidentified narrator of this spooky 1983 song by The Blasters. There’s a good chance this song is referencing the death of the legendary country singer Hank Williams, who met his tragic, too-early end in — you guessed it — the back of a Cadillac.
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A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.
