Today is the big day in the Motor City: the 2015 Woodward Dream Cruise is here. Let’s kick off the celebration with the Beach Boys’ ultimate cruising song, “I Get Around.”
The Beach Boys, of course, were the kings of the car song in the ’60s, and “I Get Around” is one of their best. Unlike their other classics such as “409,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” and “Fun, Fun, Fun,” this tune never calls out a specific car by name, but it’s still all about cars and cruising, with lines including:
We always take my car cause it’s never been beat
I’m gettin bugged driving up and down the same old strip, I gotta find a new place where the kids are hip
The live performance shown here is from The T.A.M.I. Show, an epic in early ’60s pop music concerts, and fortunately it’s available on DVD at The Shout Factory and elsewhere. The guys are at their best for this show, with Dennis Wilson tearing up the drum kit and Brian Wilson leading the amazing vocal harmonies. Please enjoy, and we’ll see you out on Woodward Avenue.
Thanks for the CarTune. Love the Beach Boys( and all those other “surfin’ bands) Growing up in the Mid-West, I never knew the surfin’ scene. ( not much surf on Lake Michigan) Can anybody tell me, is that really how it was back then in California? 2 girls for every guy?