What's The Song In The New VW Beetle Commercial?
The Volkswagen Beetle stopped being produced in 2019, but it looks like it's about to make a big comeback. Intended to celebrate the model's 75th anniversary of being sold in the United States, Volkswagen's 2024 Superbowl ad not only rhapsodizes about its long American history but also shows its impact on the country and its culture at large, from being mentioned on "The Simpsons" to starring as Herbie, the Love Bug for Disney to fueling much of the style and look of the 1960s.
All of those events play out to a tune by another famous American export: Neil Diamond's "I Am... I Said," which was released in 1971 as the B-side of "Done Too Soon" and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Like the Beetle, Diamond broke through in the 1960s and has managed to transcend decades of popular culture, with hits galore and even a late-career renaissance.
Neil Diamond has had quite a late-career renaissance
Neil Diamond is one of those artists who's had such a long career that his name brings to mind entirely different things to different people. To children of the 1960s and '70s, he's easily remembered as a chart-topping balladeer and rocker and the star of 1980's "The Jazz Singer." To those born a little later, he might be remembered for his extended cameo in the 2001 comedy "Saving Silverman" or even his brief mention in the 2019 Elton John biopic "Rocketman," a small detail you may have missed in the film.
Younger audiences might recognize Diamond thanks to the Broadway musical based on his life, "A Beautiful Noise," which is set to start touring the country in the fall of 2024. And no matter your age, he'll always be remembered as the guy who wrote the 1969 single "Sweet Caroline" — an anthem for the Boston Red Sox. It's quite the legacy for a man who's been lost between two shores — with or without the support of a Volkswagen Beetle.