This morning’s CarTune: Sir Paul McCartney performing “Drive My Car” live in Quebec City in 2008.

“Drive My Car,” co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, first appeared as side one, song one on Rubber Soul.  A true point of departure for the Beatles, it was the album that signaled that the Fab Four were something more than Britain’s cutest pop act—that they were about to reinvent pop music altogether.

But curiously, the song is featured only on the British edition of Rubber Soul. On the American pressing it’s nowhere to be found. Instead, “Drive My Car” opens the North America-only LP, Yesterday and Today, which debuted a few months later.

Either way, “Drive My Car” is nearly atmospheric on both sides of the Atlantic. There can’t be anyone in the English-speaking world who doesn’t know this tune by heart. Sir Paul sure has it down: The song has been a staple of his concert playlists for years, where the feel-good rocker never fails to fire up the house. The video performance below is from his July 20, 2008 concert on the Plains of Abraham celebrating the 400th anniversary of Quebec City.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfHiHzFsS4s