Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: folk
Song Meaning of “Riding in My Car” by Elizabeth Mitchell
Riding in My Car, a folksy children’s song by Elizabeth Mitchell, is an ode to the nature of travel – how it can open up a world of imagination and possibilities. The tune is light and cheerful, the sort that invites listeners to join in and sing along.
The song begins with the singer, Mitchell, joyfully recounting how she loves to explore the world as she sails along in her car: “Riding in my car, flowing like a stream, out to see what I can see, ain’t coming home ’til the morrow”. This image of taking off to explore is something that many people relate to when it comes to their own travels, performing this spontaneous act of freedom and exploration.
The chorus of the song affirms the importance of this kind of exploration, with Mitchell encouraging the audience to “Roll down the windows and feel the wind in your face, you can see the stars all around you when you’re riding in my car”. The idea of the wind in your face as you explore is something that most people can picture. Leaving behind the security and familiarity of home, and allowing yourself to be taken away and explore the unknown, is captured quite potently in this chorus.
The song goes on to reinforce its opening message, with Mitchell singing about taking a look at the wide open sky or going down to the river to watch the wonders of the world. This reinforces the idea of embarking upon an adventurous exploration, of allowing oneself to be taken away by the breathless possibilities that travel offers.
Riding in My Car is a childlike ode to the joys of travel, a buoyant reminder of the wonders that can be experienced when one embarks on a journey.