Sheryl Crow performs “Real Gone” over the opening credits of Pixar's Cars.
The song appears at the start of the film and establishes an energetic, road-focused mood before the story moves into the Piston Cup race. Its driving rhythm and lyrics fit the movie's emphasis on speed, travel, and American car culture.
“Real Gone” was written by Sheryl Crow and John Shanks. Crow recorded it specifically for the Cars soundtrack, which was released by Walt Disney Records in 2006. The soundtrack combines original songs with country, rock, blues, and roots-oriented music.
A frequent mix-up is “Life Is a Highway,” which is more strongly associated with Cars because Rascal Flatts' cover became one of the franchise's best-known songs. “Life Is a Highway” appears later in the soundtrack, during the film's travel sequence, while “Real Gone” opens the movie.