In my last music-related post, I asked you for the songs that make you drive faster. Not surprisingly, many of your responses were songs with a fast tempo and a lot of energy that would turn anyone into a speed demon. But this week, I want to know which songs you enjoy listening to while you’re driving at night. There’s a good chance that some of your answers will be fast-paced numbers, but I suspect some of them will be more moody and mellow, like many of the songs I put on my list below.
“Good Time” by Counting Crows
As much as I love this song, I prefer to listen to it at night. Its lyrics about loneliness and longing fit driving alone in the dark. The keys and strings carve such an unusual groove that you just want to enjoy it by yourself.
“#41” by Dave Matthews Band
This is also a nighttime-only song for me, especially the 1999 live version below. The combination of Matthews’ acoustic guitar, Boyd Tinsley’s violin, Stefan Lessard’s bass, and LeRoi Moore’s saxophone, in particular, instantly creates a lush, soothing atmosphere. This song is laid-back and occasionally filled with violin, sax, and even flute solos before melting into a wonderful blend of everyone’s instruments. When there’s a chill in the air and I want to relax on the way home after a workout, this is a go-to — after I turn on my heated driver’s seat.
“Brothers In Arms” by Dire Straits
Written by Mark Knopfler about the Falklands War, this has a dark, foreboding background of synthesizer and electric guitar, both of which create a beautiful sound that seems to eulogize without descending into a dirge. I’ve been aware of this song for decades, but this scene from the TV show “Miami Vice” showed me how perfectly its sound fits fast nighttime drives — by laying it over a fast nighttime drive.
“Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” by John Mayer
The album version of this song is great, but the live version from 2007 below is even better. It starts off slow, as Mayer tells his lover all the reasons why their relationship is doomed. It then builds to a cathartic release that includes a killer guitar solo that transitions into a harmonious, wordless duet with Robbie McIntosh. Even if you’re going through an awful breakup, it’s hard to listen to this song and not get lost in two great musicians that are completely in sync.
“Midnight City” by M83
Have you ever heard a song that instantly inspired a specific fantasy? When I hear this, I can’t help but picture myself in a sleek, dark car (let’s go with a first-generation Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG) charging through the rain as I tear past the skyline of a major city at midnight.
“Take Five” by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
If you ask me, jazz is best listened to at night. If it’s low-key and laid-back, you can just cruise calmly. If it gets a little more spirited, it’s easy to picture yourself at a jazz club as you have drinks with your significant other and watch the musicians cut loose.
What about you? Which songs do you like listening to when you drive at night? Tell us by posting a comment below.
