Rental Car
By: Beck Hansen, The Dust Brothers
Written by: Beck Hansen, The Dust Brothers

Alternate Titles:

a.k.a. Rock

Versions:
  1. Rental Car (3:07)
    Available on Guero.
    Credits
    Recorded at: The Boat
    Beck Hansen: Bass, Guitar (Acoustic 12-string), Guitar (Electric), Hand Claps, Mix, Percussion, Producer, Vocals
    Justin Meldal-Johnsen: Bass, Guitar
    The Dust Brothers: Beats, Mix, Producer
    Roger Joseph Manning Jr.: Clavinet
    Petra Haden: Vocals
  2. Rental Car (John King Remix) (2:59)
    Available on Guerolito.
    Credits
    Brad Breeck: Drum Machine, Engineer, Keyboard / Synthesizer (Korg MS-20), Keyboard / Synthesizer (Tote-a-tune), Producer, Programming
    Beck Hansen: Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
    John Spiker: Guitar (Maestro Ring Modulator)
    John King: Producer, Remix
    Petra Haden: Vocals
    3.  
  3. Rental Car (Leaked Version) (3:14)
    Available on Guero.
  4. Rental Car (Surround Mix) (3:07)
    Available on Guero.
 
Lyrics:
Rental Car [Version (a)]:

Hey now girl, what's the matter with me?
We're on a back road, driving to sea
Straight as a razor, kicking the dust
Digging through ditches and falling to rust
Taking me far, far as a rental car can go
Yea yea yea yea yea yea
Yea yea yea yea yea yea

Hey now girl, at the end of the road
Down where the reaper is walking alone
Singing a death knell, clapping along
At the end of the night there's a road we'll be on
Taking me far, far as a rental car can go
Yea yea yea yea yea yea
Yea yea yea yea yea yea

La la la la la la music
La la la la la la music
La la la la la la music
La la la la la la music

Straight as a razor, kicking up dust
Digging through ditches and falling to rust
Taking me far, far as a rental car can go
Yea yea yea yea yea yea
Yea yea yea yea yea yea
Rental Car (John King Remix) [Version (b)]:

Hey now girl, what's the matter with me?
We're on a back road, driving to sea
Straight as a razor, kicking up dust
Digging through ditches and falling to rust
Taking me far, far as a rental car can go
Yea yea yea yea yea yea
Yea yea yea yea yea yea

La la la la la la music
La la la la la la music

Hey now girl, at the end of the road
Down where the reaper is walking alone
Singing a death knell, clapping along
At the end of the night there's a road we'll be on
Taking me far, far as a rental car can go
Yea yea yea yea yea yea
Yea yea yea yea yea yea

La la la la la la music
La la la la la la music

La la la la la la music
La la la la la la music
La la la la la la music
La la la la la la music

Straight as a razor, kicking up dust
Digging through ditches and falling to rust
Taking me far, far as a rental car can go
Yea yea yea yea yea yea
Yea yea yea yea yea yea
 
 
The Song:

"Rental Car" is a multi-sectioned rock tune, led by a buzzing guitar riff, the "yea yea yea" chorus, and that "la la la" section in the middle. It's a cool track, and one of my favorites from Guero. The song was left over from Midnite Vultures days, as its got Justin Meldal-Johnsen and Roger Manning, Jr. on it. The music has a great rock and roll momentum to it.

Beck worked on the song a lot, saying in one interview that he kept re-writing it, trying different things with the chords, new melodies, trying to get it right. He even added that he probably didn't quite get what he was imagining, but instead of giving up and moving on to another song, he took it as a challenge to make it work.
 
Live:

Played live 48 times:
February 4, 2005
February 5, 2005
March 14, 2005
March 21, 2005
March 23, 2005
March 24, 2005
May 29, 2005
June 1, 2005
June 2, 2005
June 3, 2005
...and 38 more.

Earliest known live version: February 4, 2005
Latest known live version: April 16, 2007

EARLY 2005 PRE-GUERO SECRET SHOWS

The earliest versions of "Rental Car" on stage really rip. The bass and guitar intro is solid. Though really, the song is not terribly different from the album. Petra Haden's "la la la" part is taped in. Beck hasn't really been playing "Rental Car" regularly at the secret shows, but a few times, they gave it a go.
 
Notes: