Volkswagen Passat 2013 Commercial – What’s the Song?

The Volkswagen Passat “is designed with other drivers in mind,” a recent ad suggests. The 30-second clip starts with a man following his usual happy-go-lucky morning routine, but things take a turn for the worst when another car crashes into him as he’s backing out of the driveway. Thankfully, he’s safe within the sturdy confines of his Passat (which was recognized as a 2013 IIHS Top Safety Pick), no one is harmed and the damage to his vehicle is minimal. What’s the song in the riveting new commercial?

The tune is Jim James’ cover of ‘Lucky Man,’ originally a track from English prog-rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer's 1970 self-titled studio debut. The ad agency was reportedly considering featuring either Iron & Wine or M. Ward's cover of the beloved ELP track, but they decided to use James’ version in the end.

Several different songs by James’ band My Morning Jacket have surfaced in a variety of previous TV spots, including episodes of ‘House,’ ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ ‘Wilfred,’ ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Fringe,’ as well as such films as ‘The Lookout,’ ‘Elizabethtown’ and ‘He’s Just Not That Into You.’

Hear Jim James’ Cover of Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s ‘Lucky Man’ in the Volkswagen Passat 2013 Commercial