Car Wash Songs You May Never Have Known About

In 1977 American soul R&B group Rose Royce brought the car wash business into the music world with “Workin’ at the car wash,” but you might be surprised to learn how many other song have made car washes a popular theme in music. From the likes of Jim Croce, most famously known for “Bad Bay Leroy Brown” and “Time in a Bottle,” singing “Workin’ at the car wash blues” to Bruce Springsteen in “’just ‘for suppertime,” car washes figure into lots of songs from a variety of artists.

1997 on his “Born Again” album, Randy Newman put out the song “They just got married” and in it he sings: “They’re dancing in the doorways

Cause their friends go married

He gets a job

Working in a car wash up in Santa Cruiz.”

2007 had Mercury Rev, an American alternative rock group, singing

“Wanna ask but I just stare,

Can I run my hands through your car wash hair.”

We still haven’t figured out what “car wash hair” is but hey, it’s artistic license! 

In 2011 Paul Simon wrote and sang “Rewrite” about working at a car wash at his day job while working on a song rewrite at night. Did you know Cheryl Crow’s “All I wanna do” mentions a car wash too?

“We are drinking beer at noon on Tuesday

In the bar that faces the giant car wash

And the good people of the world

Are washing their cars on their lunch breaks

Hosing and scrubbing as best they can In skirts and suits.”

Missy Elliot and Christina Aguilera sang “Car Wash” (sing along now ya’ll! Here’s a link) in the animated movie “Shark Tale”:

“Why'all small tuna fish, I'm one big catch

Why'all small tuna fish, I'm one big catch

Ooh, do do do do do do do

Car wash, car wash

Ooh, do do do do do do do

Car wash, car wash”

Even Waylon Jennings got in on the fun in “Armed and Dangerous” on his “Too Dumb for New Your City, Too Ugly for L.A.” album.

“Ran my Chevy through the car wash

Threw the beer cans out

Emptied all the ash trays

Clean a little house.”

Nothing like a clean car with good music on the stereo, right? So the next time you’re doing your carpool karaoke (make it a car wash karoke while you’re getting your car washed at SpeedWash!) think about a great car wash song and get into the groove.