‘Low Rider’ is a song written by American funk band War and producer Jerry Goldstein, which appeared on their album Why Can't We Be Friends?, released in 1975. It reached number one on the Billboard R&B singles chart, peaked at number seven on the Hot 100 singles chart, and number six in Canada.
According to the AllMusic review of the song, "the lyric takes the cool, laidback image of the lowrider—the Chicano culture practice of hydraulically hot-rodding classic cars—and using innuendo, extends the image to a lifestyle". The song features a driving bass line by B. B. Dickerson, which is present almost throughout, and an alto saxophone riff by Charles Miller, who also provides lead vocals and a saxophone solo towards the end of the song that includes a siren-like noise.
The lines "Take a little trip" and "Rides a little higher" led many listeners to believe this song was about drugs, but Brown tells a different story: "We did not want it to sound as if we were referring to drugs. As a rule most Lowriders are not big druggies, because we all had regular jobs as machinists, body and fender and mechanics. We didn't have any extra money for drugs. We put the money into our cars. Drugs didn't come into the picture then. That became a Hollywood thing for some reason. Maybe Cheech and Chong? …We were trying to convey that the Lowrider gets a little higher by riding in his automobile, being proud of how he takes care of his ride. It's like riding around in your trophy."
In an interview, the group's sax player, Charles Miller, came up with the idea for the song. Harold Brown said: "What happened on 'Low Rider' was in the studio, we were jamming, and I was supposed to have been on the downbeat. But all of the sudden I was on the upbeat. And I said, 'Oh, boy. I got the beat turned around.' I didn't panic. I said, 'Wait a minute. Stay there. Don't change it. Stay.' Because as long as you keep doing it over and over and over, it won't be a mistake.”
In 2014, the 1975 release of "Low Rider" by War on the United Artists label was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Label – United Artists
Songwriters – Jerry Goldstein, War (Thomas Sylvester "Papa Dee" Allen; Harold Ray Brown; Moris "B.B." Dickerson; Leroy Jordan; Charles Miller; Lee Oskar; Howard E. Scott)
Producers – Jerry Goldstein, Lonnie Jordan, Howard E. Scott
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]All my friends know the low rider
(Yeah)
The low rider is a little higher
(Yeah)
[Instrumental Interlude]
[Verse 2]
The low rider drives a little slower
Low rider, is a real goer
[Interlude]
Hey
[Verse 3]
Low rider knows every street, yeah
Low rider, is the one to meet, yeah
[Instrumental Interlude]
[Verse 4]
Low rider don't use no gas now
The low rider don't drive too fast
[Instrumental Interlude]
[Outro]
Take a little trip, take a little trip
Take a little trip and see
Take a little trip, take a little trip
Take a little trip with me