3 Country Songs From the 1980s That Feel Like Your First Drive With Your License

There are few senses of freedom more exhilarating than getting your license. Parents fear the day their kids will have free rein over a set of keys, while the kids impatiently await it. There are many things that are exciting about that first drive as a license-bearing teen. But what song you’re going to put over the speakers is a main priority. These three massively popular country songs from the 1980s were likely played for the first time when teens from that era took a drive on their own. At any rate, they will instantly transport 80s kids right back to adolescence.

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[RELATED: 3 Underrated Country Ballads From the 1970s That Still Break Hearts Today]

“Mountain Music” — Alabama

If folksy country was your thing as a teen back in the 80s, then “Mountain Music” might’ve been the first song you thought of when behind the wheel of your first car. This foot-stomping classic was everywhere on country radio in the early 80s, so the odds aren’t slim.

This song is impossible not to sing along to, making it the perfect in-car track. Whether you’re alone or with fellow country fans, “Mountain Music” is guaranteed to brighten any drive. You’ll have trouble not joining in on the chorus when the band sings “Then I’ll float on down the river / To a Cajun hideaway.”

“On The Road Again” — Willie Nelson

I mean, what country song is better suited for the car than Willie Nelson’s 1980 classic, “On The Road Again”? The simple lyrics all point to endless highways and long treks. Even if you’re just driving down a dirt road in your small town, this song will make you feel like you’re right alongside Nelson on a tour of the West.

“I just can’t wait to get on the road again / The life I love is makin’ music with my friends,” the lyrics read. Many 80s teens listened to this song behind the wheel, imagining they were on an adventure. It’s an endlessly transportive country song.

“Forever And Ever, Amen” — Randy Travis

Imagine a bright sunny day in the 80s. You’re driving around in your first car, feeling lighter than air, and this Randy Travis song comes on. Can you imagine a more perfect scene? “Forever And Ever, Amen” has long been a beloved country song. Even upon its release, this song got the attention usually reserved for classics. Odds are, if you turned on country radio in the late 80s, this song was on.

“But you’re not just time that I’m killin’ / I’m no longer one of those guys,” he sings in this loved-up classic. This is the kind of song that makes teens dream of their future, waiting to find the one that makes them feel like Travis does in this track.

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