Strap Me In

Zoo Freaks, get ready to buckle up for some wild trivia about "Strap Me In" by The Cars from their 1987 album Door to Door, spinning now on THE ZOO! This track, a pulsing synth-rock gem, was the second single from the album and peaked at #85 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to a 1987 interview in Rolling Stone, Ric Ocasek, the band’s lead singer and songwriter, described the song as a metaphor for embracing life’s chaos, saying, “It’s about letting go and diving into the ride, no matter how crazy it gets.” The song’s driving rhythm and quirky lyrics, like “Strap me in, I’m ready to go,” perfectly capture that reckless, free-spirited vibe you Zoo Crew DJs love to amplify.

One cool tidbit comes from drummer David Robinson, who shared in a 1988 Modern Drummer interview that the band recorded the track in a single take at Electric Lady Studios in New York, fueled by “pure adrenaline and a lot of coffee.” Fans on the The Cars Fan Club Facebook group have speculated that the song’s edgy vibe was influenced by the band’s attempt to return to their raw, early sound after the polished pop of Heartbeat City. A 2017 post on The Cars’ X account celebrated the song’s 30th anniversary, sharing a rare photo of the band in the studio with the caption, “Strapping in for the long haul—still sounds fresh!” The music video, featuring the band in a surreal desert setting, was a staple on MTV and, as Ocasek noted in a 1987 Billboard interview, was meant to evoke “a journey into the unknown.”

The Cars got their start in Boston in the mid-1970s, born from the ashes of several local bands. Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr, lifelong friends, had been playing together since the late ’60s in various outfits, including a folk-rock group called Milkwood. According to the band’s official bio on their website, they teamed up with Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, and David Robinson in 1976, blending Ocasek’s knack for catchy, offbeat songwriting with Hawkes’ synth wizardry and Easton’s razor-sharp guitar riffs. Their self-titled debut album in 1978, with hits like “Just What I Needed” and “My Best Friend’s Girl,” launched them into new wave stardom. The band’s mix of punk energy, pop hooks, and art-rock weirdness made them a defining act of the era, as noted in their 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech.

For more on The Cars, check out their official website at thecars.org, where you’ll find tour archives, discography, and merch. Connect with them on social media via Facebook, Instagram, and X for updates and throwback content. Fans can dive deeper at the The Cars Fan Club on Facebook, a lively group with over 5,000 members sharing memories, rare photos, and tour stories. Another great spot is Carsfanzine.com, a fan-run site packed with discography details, interviews, and vintage concert posters. So, Zoo Freaks, keep those dials locked on THE ZOO and let “Strap Me In” take you for a spin!