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POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 8:35 pm
by JamesHetfieldsAcneScars

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2025 9:01 pm
by FreddyFender
Nah. Annoying song.

There's Only One Way and Your Love is Driving Me Crazy are way better songs, imo.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 3:24 am
by Bono Nettencourt
^^^^
This.

It was kinda amusing to hear the 1st time as a 16 yo punk, but doesn't bear repeated listening.

Sam Hagar? :roll:

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 4:08 am
by tooth
Wiki says Sammy has 20 studio records, twenty! Side one of Standing Hampton is my fave Hagar song. 55 was always dumb & the video was dumber.
1. "I'll Fall in Love Again"
2. "There's Only One Way to Rock"
3. "Baby's on Fire"
4. "Can't Get Loose"
5. "Heavy Metal"

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 5:09 am
by CrankerBait
Hopelessly stuck in the 80s in terms of production, and not in a good way. Sounds like it could have or should have been part of the Beverly Hills Cop, Back to the Future or Miami Vice soundtrack. It doesn't rock much harder than "Ghostbusters."

Having said that, it is kind of cool in a nostalgic sense to listen to it once or twice in the summer on classic rock radio. Just Sammy having fun with a subject a lot of us can probably relate to at one point in our lives. Reminds me of being seventeen and pushing the old man's car a little too hard on a straight stretch of highway on the way to some house or beach party.

And, it beats the crap out of at least 95% of the music I hear when I occasionally tune in (briefly, in most cases) to modern rock or pop stations on the radio.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 5:29 am
by daveg
CrankerBait wrote: Sun Jul 20, 2025 5:09 am Hopelessly stuck in the 80s in terms of production, and not in a good way. Sounds like it could have or should have been part of the Beverly Hills Cop, Back to the Future or Miami Vice soundtrack. It doesn't rock much harder than "Ghostbusters."

Having said that, it is kind of cool in a nostalgic sense to listen to it once or twice in the summer on classic rock radio. Just Sammy having fun with a subject a lot of us can probably relate to at one point in our lives. Reminds me of being seventeen and pushing the old man's car a little too hard on a straight stretch of highway on the way to some house or beach party.

And, it beats the crap out of at least 95% of the music I hear when I occasionally tune in (briefly, in most cases) to modern rock or pop stations on the radio.
This.

I'm never gonna play it on purpose, but when I do hear it...especially if in the car on a nice summer day.... I'll crank it an will have me a bit nostalgic

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 6:45 am
by Stinky McFister
His 78 live all night long record is the only thing worth listening to from him

Mostly shite after that

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 10:20 pm
by DangerZone
Bono Nettencourt wrote: Sun Jul 20, 2025 3:24 am ^^^^
This.

It was kinda amusing to hear the 1st time as a 16 yo punk, but doesn't bear repeated listening.

Sam Hagar? :roll:
Yes, belongs on a mix tape with “we’re not gonna take it”

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:40 am
by HueyRamone
I dont know why, but hearing him say "I cant drive 55" always seemed like it was "I cant drive 55, because my car sucks so much it cant reach that speed" and not "I cant drive only 55, because my need for speed is too great".

I know the lyrics provide context, but when I first heard there was a song called "I cant drive 55", I was like "Well, step on the gas harder, pussy!"

Lastly, Its crazy to think the speed limit was actualy 55. Sam Hagar was right. That's (unnecessarily) slow as fuck! We need someone to write a song called "I cant blow 0.08"!

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 10:38 am
by MetalSludgeCEO
Great song... for the time/era.

Isn't that Claudio guy the mechanic who suggested to EVH "Why don't you call Sammy?", to get him in VH?

Lastly... our first official TUFF demo was recorded at Sound City in March 1988, and Jesse Harms (Sammy's keyboard player) Produced it.

Jesse also played with Roth on a few tours as well... a great guy for sure!

$tEvil

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 10:59 am
by Jason Jennifer Leigh
It’s the perfect early 80’s rock song and video, just like “I Love Rock n Roll” and “Jessie’s Girl”.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 1:58 pm
by SeniorGrande
CrankerBait wrote: Sun Jul 20, 2025 5:09 am Hopelessly stuck in the 80s in terms of production, and not in a good way. Sounds like it could have or should have been part of the Beverly Hills Cop, Back to the Future or Miami Vice soundtrack. It doesn't rock much harder than "Ghostbusters."

Having said that, it is kind of cool in a nostalgic sense to listen to it once or twice in the summer on classic rock radio. Just Sammy having fun with a subject a lot of us can probably relate to at one point in our lives. Reminds me of being seventeen and pushing the old man's car a little too hard on a straight stretch of highway on the way to some house or beach party.

And, it beats the crap out of at least 95% of the music I hear when I occasionally tune in (briefly, in most cases) to modern rock or pop stations on the radio.
It actually ended up on Back To The Future Part II. As my favorite film series, its inclusion in the film is the only reason I voted "It's OK". Otherwise, it's just a dumb song.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 2:30 pm
by dmbrocker
Yeah, I like it quite a bit. It’s a little goofy lyrically, but it’s good, cheesy fun.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 3:35 pm
by LSD69
"Owww this thing is running great"

:lol:

Best opening line in a video :?:

NOT :!:

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 3:41 pm
by Bono Nettencourt
HueyRamone wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:40 am I dont know why, but hearing him say "I cant drive 55" always seemed like it was "I cant drive 55, because my car sucks so much it cant reach that speed" and not "I cant drive only 55, because my need for speed is too great".
Actually, it's neither - the lyrics clearly detail that his problem is that he wants to run, but there's too many people in his way. That's actually kind of a stupidly clever bit of wordplay for a moon-june-spoon hack like the Spazz.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 5:06 pm
by Sleek
I do nowt like the song. It is like dumbed-down Sammy Hagar with the most on-the-nose literal lyrics that have ever existed. There is no art or poetry to this song.

...and I say that as a person who would cut a bitch over Standing Hampton.
HueyRamone wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:40 am Lastly, Its crazy to think the speed limit was actualy 55. Sam Hagar was right. That's (unnecessarily) slow as fuck! We need someone to write a song called "I cant blow 0.08"!
Liiiike, nobody actually went 55...but since it was the legal limit nationally, when you rented a truck they would have a governor on it so it could not go over 55. We'd be doing 400 mile overnights between gigs with cars zooming past while we were stuck at the goddam speed limit.

Fucking sucked.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 5:25 pm
by Tenacious_Dio
It's fine.

As much as I dislike Van Hagar, I enjoy most of Sammy's solo catalog. Basic meat and potatoes rock.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 5:35 pm
by Bono Nettencourt
Sleek wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 5:06 pm I do nowt like the song. It is like dumbed-down Sammy Hagar
is that even possible

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 5:52 pm
by Metal Sludge
tooth wrote: Sun Jul 20, 2025 4:08 am Wiki says Sammy has 20 studio records, twenty! Side one of Standing Hampton is my fave Hagar song. 55 was always dumb & the video was dumber.
1. "I'll Fall in Love Again"
2. "There's Only One Way to Rock"
3. "Baby's on Fire"
4. "Can't Get Loose"
5. "Heavy Metal"
Standing Hampton is a great album.
Piece of my Heart is my favorite.
I always thought this was a cover of Janis Joplin's song (Rough Cutt does a great cover of this too), but nope! Janis covered it too.
The original was Erma Franklin, she is Aretha Franklin's sister...who knew?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUM161EgKdI

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:31 pm
by HueyRamone
Bono Nettencourt wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 3:41 pm
HueyRamone wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:40 am I dont know why, but hearing him say "I cant drive 55" always seemed like it was "I cant drive 55, because my car sucks so much it cant reach that speed" and not "I cant drive only 55, because my need for speed is too great".
Actually, it's neither - the lyrics clearly detail that his problem is that he wants to run, but there's too many people in his way. That's actually kind of a stupidly clever bit of wordplay for a moon-june-spoon hack like the Spazz.
Pretty sure they write him up for 125.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 10:24 pm
by St_Augustines_Pears
I like it.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2025 12:42 am
by Michael Hotts Ghost
I prefer other songs on the album like Dick in the Dirt, Rock is in my Blood, 🩸, Swept Away, Burning Down The City. (Burning Downs lyrics are pretty horrible though).

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 4:42 pm
by JamesHetfieldsAcneScars
Bono Nettencourt wrote: Sun Jul 20, 2025 3:24 am

Sam Hagar? :roll:
Sorry, i meant Samuel Hagar.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2025 4:25 am
by Tommy2Tone84
CrankerBait wrote: Sun Jul 20, 2025 5:09 am Hopelessly stuck in the 80s in terms of production, and not in a good way. Sounds like it could have or should have been part of the Beverly Hills Cop, Back to the Future or Miami Vice soundtrack. It doesn't rock much harder than "Ghostbusters."

Having said that, it is kind of cool in a nostalgic sense to listen to it once or twice in the summer on classic rock radio. Just Sammy having fun with a subject a lot of us can probably relate to at one point in our lives. Reminds me of being seventeen and pushing the old man's car a little too hard on a straight stretch of highway on the way to some house or beach party.

And, it beats the crap out of at least 95% of the music I hear when I occasionally tune in (briefly, in most cases) to modern rock or pop stations on the radio.

Ted Templeman produced it

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2025 5:26 am
by CrankerBait
Tommy2Tone84 wrote: Thu Jul 24, 2025 4:25 am
CrankerBait wrote: Sun Jul 20, 2025 5:09 am Hopelessly stuck in the 80s in terms of production, and not in a good way. Sounds like it could have or should have been part of the Beverly Hills Cop, Back to the Future or Miami Vice soundtrack. It doesn't rock much harder than "Ghostbusters."

Having said that, it is kind of cool in a nostalgic sense to listen to it once or twice in the summer on classic rock radio. Just Sammy having fun with a subject a lot of us can probably relate to at one point in our lives. Reminds me of being seventeen and pushing the old man's car a little too hard on a straight stretch of highway on the way to some house or beach party.

And, it beats the crap out of at least 95% of the music I hear when I occasionally tune in (briefly, in most cases) to modern rock or pop stations on the radio.

Ted Templeman produced it
Must have been putting more of his time and energy into 1984 at the time.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2025 11:25 pm
by Tommy2Tone84
CrankerBait wrote: Thu Jul 24, 2025 5:26 am
Tommy2Tone84 wrote: Thu Jul 24, 2025 4:25 am
CrankerBait wrote: Sun Jul 20, 2025 5:09 am Hopelessly stuck in the 80s in terms of production, and not in a good way. Sounds like it could have or should have been part of the Beverly Hills Cop, Back to the Future or Miami Vice soundtrack. It doesn't rock much harder than "Ghostbusters."

Having said that, it is kind of cool in a nostalgic sense to listen to it once or twice in the summer on classic rock radio. Just Sammy having fun with a subject a lot of us can probably relate to at one point in our lives. Reminds me of being seventeen and pushing the old man's car a little too hard on a straight stretch of highway on the way to some house or beach party.

And, it beats the crap out of at least 95% of the music I hear when I occasionally tune in (briefly, in most cases) to modern rock or pop stations on the radio.

Ted Templeman produced it
Must have been putting more of his time and energy into 1984 at the time.

Most likely not, given 1984 was released on January 9, 1984 and VOA wasn’t released until July 23. That’s plenty of time.

I like the production of VOA. Swept Away has always been a favorite of mine.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:16 am
by Danzig in the Dark
Sleek wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 5:06 pm

Liiiike, nobody actually went 55...but since it was the legal limit nationally, when you rented a truck they would have a governor on it so it could not go over 55. We'd be doing 400 mile overnights between gigs with cars zooming past while we were stuck at the goddam speed limit.

Fucking sucked.
So, you were the fucker holding Sammy back? No wonder you hate it.

Re: POLL: Do you like the song "I can't drive 55" by Sam Hagar?

Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2025 10:28 am
by CrankerBait
Tommy2Tone84 wrote: Fri Jul 25, 2025 11:25 pm
CrankerBait wrote: Thu Jul 24, 2025 5:26 am
Tommy2Tone84 wrote: Thu Jul 24, 2025 4:25 am


Ted Templeman produced it
Must have been putting more of his time and energy into 1984 at the time.

Most likely not, given 1984 was released on January 9, 1984 and VOA wasn’t released until July 23. That’s plenty of time.

I like the production of VOA. Swept Away has always been a favorite of mine.
Hadn't listened to "Swept Away" for 30+ years until a few minutes ago. One of the better songs on the record.