‘I'm in Love with My Car’ is a song by the British rock band Queen, released on their fourth album A Night at the Opera in 1975. It is the album's only song written entirely by drummer Roger Taylor. Taylor wrote this song, sang on it and played drums on the track. Though it was dedicated to Queen roadie John Harris ("a boy racer to the end."), there was still something autobiographical in this car-as-a-metaphor-for-sex song. "I'm not obsessed," the Queen drummer told Mojo, "but I do love a good car."
The engine noises on the recording of ‘I'm In Love With My Car’ are authentic and come from the car Roger Taylor owned at the time. He described in a 1997 interview with Pop On The Line: "I remember my car at the time, because I think we've got the exhaust on the record, and that was a little Alfa Romeo. But I think it was more about people in general, for instance boy racers. In particular we had a sound guy/roadie at the time called Jonathan Harris, who was in love with his car, and that inspired that. I think he had a TR4, Triumph TR4."
When it came down to releasing the album's first single, Taylor was so fond of his song that he locked himself in a cupboard until it was agreed that it would be the b-side to the album's first single, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. The song was often played live during the 1977–81 period. Taylor sang it from the drums while Mercury played piano and provided backing vocals. During the News of the World Tour, Mercury would often sing the chorus lines with Taylor.
Music writer Tom Reynolds described the song as "seriously, one of the greatest and most passionate love songs I've heard during the last thirty-plus years". AllMusic appreciated it as a "solid, hard hitting rocker" from Taylor. They observed, "The music lives up to the macho tone of the lyrics by matching up verses that swagger in a midtempo hard rock style", regarding it as an "album highlight".
The song's title is used as a running joke in the 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, starting with an argument between Taylor (Ben Hardy) and May (Gwilym Lee) over the song's lyrical content. Later in the film, fictional EMI executive Ray Foster (Mike Myers) suggests to have it or ‘You're My Best Friend’ released as the first single to A Night at the Opera instead of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Shortly afterwards, on Kenny Everett's radio show, Mercury hands the single to the eponymous host, who then reads out ‘I'm In Love With My Car’ rather than ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, which is then correctly played on air.
Labels – EMI (UK), Elektra (US)
Songwriter – Roger Taylor
Producers – Queen, Roy Thomas Baker
SONG LYRICS
[Verse]The machine of a dream
Such a clean machine
With the pistons a-pumping
And the hubcaps all gleam
[Pre-Chorus]
When I'm holding your wheel
All I hear is your gear
When my hand's on your grease gun
Oh, it's like a disease, son
[Chorus]
I'm in love with my car
Got to feel for my automobile
Get a grip on my boy racer roll bar
Such a thrill when your radials squeal
[Bridge]
Told my girl I'll have to forget her
Rather buy me a new carburetor
So, she made tracks
Saying, "This is the end now
Cars don't talk back
They're just four-wheeled friends, now"
[Pre-Chorus]
When I'm holding your wheel
All I hear is your gear
When I'm cruising in overdrive
Don't have to listen
To no run-of-the-mill talk jive
[Chorus]
I'm in love with my car (Ooh, I'm in love with my car)
Got to feel for my automobile (Ooh)
I'm in love with my car (Ooh, I'm in love with my car)
String back gloves
In my automolove (Ooh)