10 Perfect Rock Songs From 1971
5. Back Seat Of My Car - Paul McCartney
For a brief moment in time, it looked like Paul McCartney was going to be finished after the dissolution of the Beatles. In the few months after the Fab Four's breakup, you would have sworn that the Cute One had lost his mind, making a completely DIY solo debut and then retreating to country living for the followup RAM. Though both of these albums have received widespread acclaim now, the power behind Back Seat of My Car has always been bulletproof.
Whereas most of RAM had been about bringing things back to basics, this is the true epic where Paul gets to pull out all the stops, almost sounding like a Brian Wilson production with some of the arrangements. While Paul has always focused more on melody than wordplay, this is where both of them fit neatly together, as he tells a story about a teenage romance going on the run and having the world at their feet.
Yes, you heard that right. This is the kind of adolescent getaway song that Bruce Springsteen could have ridden into the sunset if he had debuted a few years later. Knowing the power that this song has, it makes sense that it would wind up as a closer to the album. No matter how much you try, you're not going to end up topping this any time soon.