“Cars are cars,” Paul Simon once said, repeatedly, in his song of the same name, but it wasn’t enough to get him included in Bob Dylan’s car-themed radio show on XM Satellite Radio.

Today we’re gonna talk about the endless gray ribbons of asphalt that criss-cross this country. We’re talkin’ about where the rubber meets the road, on steel. We’re gonna climb aboard the four-wheeled horseless carriage, because today’s theme is cars, automobiles, coupes, racecars, the pick-up, the van, jalopies, jeeps, junkers, the station-wagon, the roadster, the hatchback, the convertible, hard-tops, classics, pontiacs, cadillacs, buicks, low-riders, SUVs, and other assorted vehicles. So strap yourself in, put the pedal to the metal and listen.

First up, Dylan played “what some people call the first rocknroll song,” Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88.” A reader emailed RWB recently to say he’s compiling a categorical list of the recording and release dates of the each of the sides that Dylan plays on his show. As he’d have little trouble discovering, this particular one is from 1951. Dylan also informed us that though the side is credited to Brenston and his Delta Cats, it is “in reality Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm.” Not that Jackie Brenston is a fictional character; he’s just singing and playing sax.

In advance of playing Springsteen’s “Cadillac Ranch,” Dylan had a brief verbal interlude from none other than one of the creators of the real Cadillac Ranch just outside Amarillo, Texas: the artist Hudson Marquez. (Mr. and Mrs. RWB had the pleasure of visiting that wonder of the world back in the previous century). Dylan said “I think Bruce is from New Jersey” before playing the first Springsteen track of his series so far, a song from the album “The River.”

“Me and My Chauffeur Blues,” one of the great blues songs of all time, one of the great car songs of all time, one of the great chauffeur songs of all time, sung by one of the great old ladies of all time. Memphis Minnie knows all about chauffeurs. Her real name was Lizzie Douglas, as you may or may not know. Born in eighteen and ninety-seven in Algiers, Louisiana. Minnie began playing guitar in the last twenties, and in all cases she was more than any man’s equal. She performed with her husband, Kansas Joe McCoy.

They say a good husband should be deaf, and a good wife blind. Well, I don’t think either one of them people were either of those. “What I must buy him is a brand new V-8, a brand new V-8 Ford, and he won’t need no passengers — I will be his load.” “Me and My Chauffeur Blues,” by Memphis Minnie, on Theme Time Radio Hour.

In response to an email from “Chuck Lorre,” Dylan told the story of how Clyde Barrow (of the duo Bonnie and Clyde) wrote a letter to Henry Ford complimenting him on the “fine car” he had in the Ford V-8. Dylan segued from that to the Dixie Hummingbirds, by saying, “Perhaps he and Bonnie wouldn’t have gotten into that much trouble if, instead of a Ford, they had ridden in a ‘Christian Automobile’”.

When Bob began introducing the “lovely and spectacular” Joni Mitchell, I guess many people, like me, were expecting to get hit with a “Big Yellow Taxi,” a song which Dylan himself sang on his eponymous LP of cover versions from 1973. Instead, we heard the multi-layered “Car On A Hill” from her album “Court and Spark.” Afterwards Dylan said, “Joni and I go back a long ways. Not all the way, but purty far. I been in a car with Joni. Joni was driving a Lincoln. Excellent driver — I felt safe.”

Then it was: “We’re gonna pause here for a word from our sponsor: Pete Epstein Pontiac.” So, we heard Frank Sinatra singing the praises of Peter Epstein’s Pontiac dealership, to the tune of “Ol’ McDonald” (a tune he also attacks very effectively on the album “Sinatra’s Swingin’ Session”). Dylan offered no explanations, just, “Now that’s a good one, hmm.” If you speculated that people have speculated that Frank only did the jingle as a favor to someone who made an offer that just couldn’t be refused, then, well, I guess you’d be in good company. In addition to Sinatra’s track, this week’s show had many amusing old-time car-related jingles.

A slightly odd DJ Dylan musing:

Tail-lights on the freeway tonight. I don’t know where they been, where they’re going. They’re backed up all the way to the [?] bridge. Ohhh! If I had wings like a dove, ohhh! would I fly away. [laughs] I’d fly right out above all that traffic out there. All them cars. Look at ‘em all. So far off. So far so good. Over the hills, far away. Farewell!

Of Prince, Dylan said: “… just like Judy Garland, he’s from Minnesota too,” in a reference back to the line he used about Judy in his first show (“Weather”). Also, “he’s from the same area of the country I’m from, so we have plenty in common.” His outro was, “That was the Purple One, with more than enough gas,” eliciting chuckles from someone in the same room where Dylan was recording.

Last song was Chuck Berry’s “No Money Down,” and Dylan had fun egging Chuck on over the intro. Afterwards:

Interesting to note, Chuck told me his first musical appearances were in his high school of all places, like many of us get started. Chuck’s music always has that hidden thing about it, y’know where the cause is always hidden but the effect is known. “No Money Down.” Chuck Berry. Always one jump ahead.

Dylan signed off by admonishing everyone to “drive so your license expires before you do.” Good advice.

Playlist:

Jackie Brenston – Rocket 88
Hudson Marquez – talking about his Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX
Bruce Springsteen – Cadillac Ranch
Billy “The Kid” Emmerson – Every Woman I Know
Memphis Minnie – Me and My Chauffeur Blues
George Clinton & Parliament – My Automobile
The Dixie Hummingbirds – Christian Automobile
Joni Mitchell – Car On A Hill
Frank Sinatra – commercial jingle for “Peter Epstein’s Pontiac” – (to the tune of Ol’ McDonald)
Sonny Boy Williamson II – Pontiac Blues
Jimmy Caroll – Big Green Car
Richard Berry – Get Out Of The Car
David Lindley – Mercury Blues
Smiley Lewis – Too Many Drivers
Prince – Little Red Corvette
Chuck Berry – No Money Down

Next week’s theme: RICH MAN, POOR MAN

Theme Time Radio Hour with your host, Bob Dylan, on XM Radio.

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