You Are the Girl

"You Are the Girl"
Single by The Cars
from the album Door to Door
B-side "Ta Ta Wayo Wayo"
Released August 1987 (1987-08)
Genre Synthpop, pop rock, new wave
Length 3:52
Label Elektra 69446
Writer(s) Ric Ocasek
Producer(s) Ric Ocasek
The Cars singles chronology
"I'm Not the One"
(1986)		 "You Are the Girl"
(1987)		 "Strap Me In"
(1987)

"You Are the Girl" is a 1987 song by The Cars, from their album Door to Door. It was released as a single in August 1987, reaching number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] It also reached number 2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and number 12 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[2] It was The Cars' 13th and (as of 2016) last Top 40 hit.[1]

Background

Rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter Ric Ocasek shares lead vocals with bassist Benjamin Orr on "You Are the Girl".[3] Both singers had recently cracked the Top 40 with solo hits, Ocasek with 1986's "Emotion in Motion" and Orr with 1987's "Stay the Night". "You Are the Girl" was The Cars' first—and last—Top 40 hit after their 1987 regrouping following the band members' three-year hiatus to focus on solo work.[1][4]It also became the second (and last) single after "Since I Held You" from "Candy-O" in which both singers shared vocals on a song.

The lyrics for the song are about an ex;[5] the music video, directed by cult filmmaker John Waters, has been described as "alien-populated".[4] In 1987, The Cars performed "You Are the Girl" and "Double Trouble" (another track from Door to Door) at the MTV Video Music Awards.[6]

Aftermath

The song was recorded for what would be the band's final studio album for the next 25 years, and last ever with its five original members, 1987's Door to Door. It was recorded at a time of personal conflict between the band members.[7] Following the release of the album, there was public speculation that the band was breaking up, and within a year The Cars announced that they had disbanded.[8]

Although "You Are the Girl" was The Cars' last Top 40 hit, two more singles released from Door to Door did reach the Top 100: 1987's "Strap Me In" (number 85) and 1988's "Coming Up You" (number 74).[2]

Chart performance

Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 69
Canadian Singles Chart 33
New Zealand Singles Chart 30
US Billboard Hot 100[2] 17
US Billboard Mainstream Rock[2] 2
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[2] 12

References

  1. 1 2 3 Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th Edition). Billboard Books. p. 109. ISBN 0-8230-7499-4.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Cars: Charts & Awards: Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  3. ↑ Door to Door (Media notes). The Cars. 1987.
  4. 1 2 Gundersen, Edna (October 19, 1987). "Ric Ocasek opens a new 'Door' with the Cars". USA Today.
  5. ↑ Pareles, Jon (September 9, 1987). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  6. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards: Show Highlights, Winners, Performers, Hosts and More From Past Video Music Awards". MTV.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  7. ↑ "The Cars". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  8. ↑ "The Cars: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
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