Lots of people think that Van Halen’s 1984 hit (off of the album 1984) is about a country. Those people are wrong! Panama is a car song, believe it or now. David Lee Roth said that he saw a car racing in Las Vegas that had the name Panama painted on it and this served as the basis of the song. With lyrics like, “Hot shoe burning down the avenue..” and “Got the feel for the wheel, keep the movin’ parts clean” Roth gets the car stuff across. He also manages to make lots of the car stuff (see line referenced previously) into lyrics that could be construed as being about getting busy with the ladies, which we’re sure all the Van Halen did lots of in 1984.
The video shows Roth rolling in a lead sled Merc, riding his motorcycle, and dancing around like a lunatic (with swords at one point). It also shows that these guys owned the world back then with some quick cuts taken from what look to be back stage parties where the girl to guy ratio is about 50:1. Ahhh…rock stardom!
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO HEAR VAN HALEN JAM OUT THEIR CAR TUNE PANAMA!
May i suggest mike ness im in love w/ my car or possibly brian setzer who would love this car but me
some one gives you 2 great car song suggestions and you ignore them for this bland over played crap if youre the dj at car shows they must really suck
bitching camoro from the dead milkmen or black sunshine from white zombie is waaaaaaaay better then this crap the 80s are over
ahh, the lunatic fringe speaks out.. that other stuff is great, but it isn’t van halen.