In Pixar's Cars, which singer performs the end-credits song “Our Town”?

In Pixar's Cars, James Taylor performs the end-credits song “Our Town.”

“Our Town” was written by Randy Newman for the film's soundtrack, but the version heard over the closing credits is performed by singer-songwriter James Taylor. The song reflects Radiator Springs' decline after Interstate 40 redirects traffic away from the old Route 66 community.

This credit is frequently confused because Randy Newman wrote much of Cars' music and performs several songs associated with Pixar. He also composed the film's score and wrote “Life Is a Highway” for the movie, while Rascal Flatts performs that track. Those different songwriting and vocal credits make the soundtrack an especially easy place to mix up names.

The song's subject matches the film's central theme: a once-busy town loses visitors, then begins to recover when Lightning McQueen helps reconnect it with the wider world.