James Arthur’s “Car’s Outside” Lyrics Meaning

The logical presumption would be that the addressee of “Car’s Outside” is the vocalist’s sweetheart. And by the looks of things, for whatever unspecified reason the latter’s lifestyle is such that he’s on the road a lot. 

Perhaps these lyrics are based on the fact that James Arthur is a popular professional musician in real life, and that maintaining such a career often involves a lot of touring.

Regardless of what’s compelling the vocalist to travel, what’s being implied is that he does so regularly, and his significant other ain’t on it like that. So while he’s out doing his thing, she’s at home “sleeping alone” and presumably upset about it. Or in the very least, James is letting it be known that he personally is tired of being on the road without her.

So this time around, the vocalist is taking a stand. He is pretty much forcing his lover to join him on the trip. Or as Arthur puts it, he’s not getting into the “car”, as in a cab, waiting “outside” until she ‘packs her bags’ and joins him. 

“I’m not gettin’ in the Addison Lee
Unless you pack your bags
You’re comin’ with me
I’m tired of lovin’ from afar
And never being where you are
Close the windows, lock the doors
Don’t wanna leave you anymore”

And yes, having a taxi outside and telling a reluctant person that you won’t leave until she joins you is a lot of pressure to put on her. But Arthur has grown weary of being out in random hotel rooms all by himself. He does get to travel to different cities or what have you in the process, but doing so is no substitute for being with the one he loves.

Or let’s close by saying that the vocalist definitely isn’t the cheating type, to use time away from his partner as an opportunity to see other women. When James is in a romantic mood, no matter where he’s at, he prefers to be with his sweetheart.

When was “Car’s Outside” released?

You can find “Car’s Outside” as the 5th track on James Arthur’s third studio album titled “You”. “You” spawned a total of seven singles. “Car’s Outside” wasn’t one of these singles.

Credits

Arthur composed this track with the following:

• David Gibson
• Bradley Spence
• Alexander Beitzke

A Personal Comment

Being on the road can be hella lonely, even with the glitz and glam of touring. You can have the whole world screaming your name, but it doesn’t fill that void when you’re missing your loved one.

I think it’s pretty cool how the song confronts this head-on. It’s not just about the longing, but also the frustration – like, “Why can’t we figure this out?” James putting the taxi on hold till his girl comes down shows his determination to make it work.

Also, big respect to him for putting love above temptation. Not gonna lie, being away, surrounded by fans could easily lead to slip-ups. But it’s clear from these lyrics that when he’s all loved up, he only has eyes for one.

So yeah, this song might be a bit of a heart-wrencher, but it’s also a pretty sweet love letter to his significant other. Shows the lengths he’s willing to go for love, even if it means changing the rhythm of his high-flying lifestyle.