Depeche Mode

Released: April 5, 1988

Songwriter: Bobby Troup Martin L. Gore

Producer: Depeche Mode Dave Bascombe

[Verse 1: Dave Gahan & Martin L. Gore]
My little girl, drive anywhere
Do what you want, I don't care
Tonight I'm in the hands of fate
I hand myself over on a plate

[Verse 2: Dave Gahan & Martin L. Gore]
Oh, little girl, there are times when I feel
I'd rather not be the one behind the wheel
Come, pull my strings
Watch me move, I do anything

[Verse 3: Martin L. Gore]
Well, if you ever plan to motor west
Come my way, take the highway, that's the best
Get your kicks on Route 66
Well, it winds from Chicago to L.A
More than two thousand miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route 66

[Verse 4: Dave Gahan & Martin L. Gore]
Sweet littlе girl, I prefer
You behind thе wheel and me the passenger
Drive, I'm yours to keep
Do what you want, I'm going cheap tonight

[Refrain: Dave Gahan]
You're behind the wheel

[Interlude]

[Refrain: Dave Gahan]
You're behind the wheel

[Chorus: Martin L. Gore]
Well it goes to St. Louis, down to Missouri
Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty
You'll see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona, don't forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino
If you get hip to this kind of trip
And go take that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66
Get your kicks on Route 66
Get your kicks on Route 66

[Outro: Dave Gahan & Martin L. Gore]
You're behind the wheel
You're behind the wheel
You're behind the wheel
You're behind the wheel

Depeche Mode are recognized as one of the most artistically influential bands of the late 20th century. Commercially, they have released 14 studio albums to date, and sold more than 100 million records. Their most recent album, Spirit, hit the streets in March 2017.

The band got their start in Basildon, Essex in 1980, and named themselves after a French fashion magazine. They rose to fame with hits that have become “Just Can’t Get Enough” (1981), “Everything Counts” (1983), and “People Are People” (1984), to name a few. One of their most famous concerts was at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in 1988.

Martin Gore has been the band’s primary songwriter since Vince Clarke left in the early 1980s (and went on to form Yazoo and Erasure). Alan Wilder replaced Clarke on keyboards in 1982, but left in 1995 (reinvesting his creative energy in his band, Recoil, which he had started in 1986). Since then, the band has comprised frontman Dave Gahan, multi-instrumentalist Martin Gore, and keyboardist Andy Fletcher—all of whom are original members.

more tracks from the album

Remixes 81···04 (Rare Tracks)

From the albums

Remixes 81···04 (Rare Tracks) (2004)
Rare, Deleted & Promo Only Remixes (2006)

Depeche Mode popular songs

Behind the Wheel / Route 66 (Megamix)Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode

Remixes 81···04 (Rare Tracks)