Saudi band releases ‘Born To Be Wild’ cover celebrating women’s driving decree

Celebrating last month’s historic announcement that Saudi Arabia will allow women to drive from next June, a band hailing from the kingdom has released a song titled “Saudi girls will drive,” to the tune of Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild.”

The song by the Jeddah-based “One of Us” has so far clocked over 100,000 views on YouTube.

The lyrics of the song, as provided by MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute, are as follows:

Sister, you will drive.
Saudi girls will drive.

Get your motor running, and go for the Ring Road.
Run your errands, and whatever comes your way.
Yeah ladies, go make it happen.
Take the wheel with a love embrace.
No more driver, Uber, or taxi to take you any place.
Like a true Arabian girl, you were born to shine like a pearl.
Now it’s time to drive – drive me around.
Saudi girls will drive.

Sister, you will drive.
Saudi girls will drive.

Instead of riding in the back seat, come on over and take the wheel.
Hit the gas, and play your best beat.
It’s so unreal.
Like a true Arabian girl, you were born to shine like a pearl.
Now it’s time to drive – drive me around.
Saudi girls will drive.

The move allowing female drivers in Saudi Arabia will make the Gulf kingdom the last country in the world to permit women behind the wheel.

The shock announcement came after a years-long resistance from women’s rights activists, some of whom were jailed for defying the ban on female driving.

The decision risks riling religious conservatives and is part of the government’s major reform drive, conceived by powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“The royal decree will implement the provisions of traffic regulations, including the issuance of driving licences for men and women alike,” the Saudi Press Agency said.

It added that the decree would be implemented from June 2018.