This Rock Song From 1977 Wouldn't Fly Today

The rock and roll spirit of the 1970s took the idea of debauchery to new heights — or new depths, depending on how freely the needle of your moral compass spins. Songs about the pleasures of sex, drugs, and drinking helped sell the freewheeling rockstar lifestyle, and some tunes took even more liberties with those themes, which verged on being questionable for the times. Bring the needle forward 50 years or so later, and these songs take on an even greater cringe factor.

Sammy Hagar's status as a rockstar luminary has been well-known since the mid-'80s, when after one of Van Halen's messy break-ups with David Lee Roth, he shifted from an already-successful solo career to becoming the front man of one of the world's biggest rock bands. Even before hooking up with music's notorious party dudes, he was already on his way to becoming a spokesman for the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll lifestyle.

The hidden truth about Sammy Hagar is that even for such a red-hot rock star, not every song is a keeper. One song in particular, a crunchy ditty called "Cruisin' and Boozin'" from Hagar's 1977 self-titled debut LP, stands out as a troubling tune in hindsight, though it should have been called out for its unsavory subject matter when it was first released. It might be a testament to the more relaxed safety standards and hard-partying ways of the late-'70s, but its themes hardly stand the test of time.

It's not difficult to pick up what Hagar is laying down in "Cruisin' and Boozin'": The title is the whole theme. The lyrics describe Hagar saving his money for a free-wheeling Saturday night where he can bother every woman on every corner by asking, "Hey, can I give you a ride?" (per Genius). The double entendre isn't even very clever, but sexual innuendo in rock music seldom is. The rest of the lyrics talk about Hagar and friends putting gas in the tank and finishing off what's left of the liquor. They're just "trying to have a good time," but it doesn't take a rock and roll genius to figure out what's really going on.

While there's nothing at all surprising about the party attitude being explored, the mode and the setting are highly troubling. The concept of trolling the streets and cat-calling for a date is notably gross, but such bad influence is greatly magnified when coupled with the idea of a drunk dude operating a vehicle. And when your audience is mostly impressionable young listeners? Yikes.

Sammy Hagar wasted no time getting to the real heart of the rock 'n' roll philosophy with this song. But at no time in the history of operating automotive vehicles has it ever been a good idea to imbibe before getting behind the wheel. Writing a musical tribute to drinking while driving puts the irresponsibility front and center. Add to that the lecherous activity of hitting on unsuspecting females while both drinking and driving is like pouring alcohol on a gasoline fire. There's little chance Hagar could get a record label to let him launch a song like this in the 21^st century.

It isn't easily found, but "Cruisin' and Boozin'" was released as a single; copies can be found on eBay listed for a whopping $6.00, so not exactly a high-ticket item. However, the tune did end up becoming something of a party anthem for Hagar's live shows and even showed up on a recording of a 1977 show he did in Austin, Texas.

It's hard to imagine Hagar, whose well-known Cabo Wabo tequila and cantinas lend an extra dimension to the liquor-soaked tune — as well as reinforcing his reputation as a rocker who partied way too hard in his day — playing the song in 2025. While the sound is classic Hagar with its impressive guitar work and sing-along melody, it's undoubtedly poor form for someone who sells alcohol to promote the idea of rolling down the street while actively enjoying an open container.

Despite the impression it may have made on Hagar's die-hard listeners, it's never been a huge success. The song failed to chart when it was released and stands as one of his less-streamed tracks, with around 340,000 listens as of late 2025. It seems that maybe even his Red Rockin' crew outgrew the stale themes, which is all for the best. With a body of work as extensive as Hagar's, it's a song that's better left in the past.