"No Cars Go"
Single by Arcade Fire
from the album Neon Bible
B-side"Surf City (Eastern Bloc)" (7")
ReleasedAugust 6, 2007
Recorded2006
Genre
Length
  • 5:39 (Neon Bible version)
  • 4:32 (single version)
  • 4:13 (radio edit)
  • 6:02 (Arcade Fire EP version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Win Butler, Regine Chassagne
Producer(s)
  • Arcade Fire
  • Markus Dravs
Arcade Fire singles chronology
"Intervention"
(2007) 		"No Cars Go"
(2007) 		"The Suburbs / Month of May"
(2010)

"No Cars Go" is a song by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. It is the fourth single released from the band's second full-length album, Neon Bible. The release date was due to be July 23, 2007[1] but the release was delayed to August 6, 2007.

Overview

The song title is taken from the solo project of former Arcade Fire member Brendan Reed.[2] It first appeared on the band's self-released debut EP Arcade Fire and was re-recorded for Neon Bible.

Some pressings of the single list the B-side as "Surf City Eastern Block" and some list it as "Surf City Eastern Bloc".

Appearances

The song was featured in Eric Bana's 2009 documentary film Love The Beast.[citation needed] It is also featured in Mike Mo Capaldi's part in Fully Flared, a skateboarding video released by Lakai Limited Footwear in 2007.

In the UK, the song was also featured in Top Gear's video montage/preview at the beginning of Series Ten,[3] as well as in ITV's coverage of the UEFA Champions League in 2007/8. It has also featured on series 6 of Wheeler Dealers, a motoring programme on the Discovery Channel. In Italy it was used as the main theme of the soccer's Sunday TV-show "Quelli Che Il Calcio" hosted by Victoria Cabello, from September 18, 2011 to May 19, 2013 on Rai 2. It also was the soundtrack for the Danny MacAskill film The Slabs.[4]

The song was jokingly referred to by Win Butler as "Yes Boats Yes" during their gig at the Hackney Empire on July 7, 2010.[5]

The song was used in the 2023 film Saltburn.[6]

Controversy

"No Cars Go" was used by Fox Sports in a post-halftime montage that aired during its coverage of Super Bowl XLII, and for similar segments in other NFL on Fox broadcasts throughout the 2007 season. Following the Super Bowl broadcast, the band said it would consider legal action against Fox, claiming that the network did not seek permission to use the song.[7]

Track listing

7" vinyl and digital:

  1. "No Cars Go" (album version) – 5:39
  2. "Surf City Eastern Bloc" – 6:22

Chart performance

Chart (2007) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[8] 12
Canada Rock (Billboard)[9] 47
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 39
Scotland (OCC)[11] 24
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 85

References

  1. ^ "Arcade Fire announce biggest ever UK shows | News". Nme.com. 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
  2. ^ NoCarsGo.Org Archived 2009-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "[10x01] October 7th, 2007". Forums.finalgear.com. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
  4. ^ Danny MacAskill - The Slabs on YouTube
  5. ^ Andy Gill (2010-07-09). "Arcade Fire, Hackney Empire, London - Reviews - Music". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
  6. ^ "The only thing that makes sense about Saltburn is its killer soundtrack". The FADER. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  7. ^ Digital Spy: Arcade Fire consider FOX legal action
  8. ^ "arcade Fire – No Cars Go" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  9. ^ "Arcade Fire Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  10. ^ "Chart Track: Week 26, 2007". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  11. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  12. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
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