Cars

Why is it that some people always think that the meaning is always either sex or drugs?

This is about how people use technology and material goods to isolate themselves from human contact.

The song is about isolation. It really has nothing to do with cars at all, he just uses them as a metaphor.

He talks about locking himself away, and how it makes him feel safe. Gives him time to himself, and time to think, but at the same time his constant isolation makes him miserable.

When all you're world becomes too much, sometimes you need to leave it, and isolate yourself. That way you can get yourself together, contemplate all that is making you feel the need to be alone. You don't have to give yourself out to all that stresses you, and you are able to once again collect yourself and stablize once more. But, at the same time you bottle things up, and you become dependent on your isolation. Slowly it kills you, and truley is what you need is someone to be there with you, that's what he means when he says, "Will you visit me please, if I open my door?". Eventually, after all of your isolation, you start to think too much, and your thoughts turn in a direction where they really have no business being (depression, and suicide, if you don't understand).

One more thing. I love his newer works, but I hate people who talk about how great Gary Numan is, but how much this song sucks (I don't necessarily mean anyone on the cars comment page). Anyone who claims to like gary numan, but hate this song doesn't understand gary numan. this is just as dark and morbid as his newer works, just with a beat to match the time it was written.

It's about feeling safe in your car. Simple as that. No hidden messages about sex or any shit like that. Numan was attacked several times in the streets of London to the point he ended up carrying pepper spray (which was illegal) around to protect himself, and he always felt like his car was a point of safety. Read his autobio ("Praying to the Aliens") - it explains everything, including the story behind "Replicas", one of his concept albums. Pretty interesting.

The thing about Gary Numan is, not only is he a pop star, he's got a pilot's license! Imagine that!

Ultimate daytime driving song

One thing that doesn't seem to get mentioned much is the way some of the instrumentation of the song imitates the sounds in cars. The initial wavering note sounding like the ignition, and then the high single synth note held for four entire loops of the main six-note bass riff then descending through a major chord sequence, to sound like a gear-shift sequence. Very creative.

Funny I love Gary Numan but this never was one of my favorites. But I think "Cars" just has to do with the temptation to shut oneself off from everyone else.( The isolating effects of technology being a typical G.N. theme.) But then:

The image breaks down Will you visit me please If I open my door

He realizes maybe the isolation isn't as ideal as he'd imagined. As always, he gets lonely.

I get the feeling the song is about anti-depressant drugs. "Here in my car I can only receive I can listen to you It keeps me stable for days "

Gary Numan suffers from a form of Autism called Asperger's Disorder. A car could represent isolation and distance, being in a metaphysical cocoon inside the world, yet completely detached from it.

Cars didn't ruin his career in America. One thing about Numan is that he was just too strange for most Americans, even though Cars was a hit. It's kind of like DEVO's Whip-It. It was a hit but from what I remember most people thought they were too odd and goofy. The album Telekon itself was even darker and weirder than TPP and there was no catchy single to top the charts (in the US). According to Numan's autobiography, the record company wanted Numan to hold back the new release 'Telekon' because they felt that The Pleasure Principle still had a lot of market value in it. I distinctly remember buying Telekon from Sears in October of 1980. I also remember Cars was still getting a lot of airplay in the fall of 1980. That's also radio's fault. Most stations would only play one hit song off of the album.