As school starts and cool weather rolls along, some people still long for the feeling of summer and freedom and the memories that come with it. “Big Black Car” by Gregory Alan Isakov does just this and more.

“Big Black Car” combines indie folk and alternative folk music. The song has smooth-running acoustic guitar lines followed by a cello and violin. The song reminisces about a lover who praises his partner, saying, “you were a dancer, I was rag.” The singer also tells about when he first met his partner and knew that they were special.

The song’s tone and sound remind the listener of summer with vivid imagery of sunsets, rain, car rides with friends, and drinking lemonade in the hot sun. It also makes the listener feel a sense of bittersweet joyfulness.

Gregory Alan Isakov, the singer and songwriter of “Big Black Car,” is best known for bringing complex emotions into music through his songs. One of his best songs, “Big Black Car” is part of the album “This Empty Northern Hemisphere,” which was released in 2009.

In most of his songs, Gregory Alan Isakov plays guitar and is accompanied by Jeb Bowes who plays violin and Philip Parker who plays keyboard and cello. In some songs such as “San Luis” from the 2018 album “Evening Machines” and “All Shades of Blue” from the 2013 album “The Weatherman,” he is accompanied by Steve Varney on banjo and guitar and Max Barcelo on drums. 

“Big Black Car” is just one of Gregory Alan Isakov’s many bittersweet love songs. It is the type of song to play on repeat when you are spending time with people you love or even when you are by yourself.

Next time you want to reminisce on summer and the freedom of love, open your favorite streaming app and listen to “Big Black Car” by Gregory Alan Isakov.