Classic Tracks: Grand Theft Auto II's 'Taxi Drivers'

Music is a powerful medium. Capable of stirring up long-forgotten memories and evoking powerful emotion in the listener, music can reduce even the burliest of blokes into blubbering, crumpled heaps. And who says that us guys are afraid to show their sensitive side? Poppycock. Of course, video games are no exception to this rule, and as often is the case, a stellar soundtrack can greatly accentuate the on-screen antics, elevating even the most perfunctory scene to hard-hitting greatness.

In a continued celebration of some of gaming’s ear-pleasing aural accomplishments, PSU presents yet another instalment in our on-going Classic Tracks series. For our latest offering we thought we’d celebrate the recent GTA V info burst with a look back at a great ditty from GTA II’s Head Radio.

Name: Taxi Drivers
Soundtrack: Grand Theft Auto II
Composer(s): Mr Clarke, Key Wilde

Grand Theft Auto is synonymous with mature-rated content, and this extends beyond the ritual of squashing pedestrians under your car or mucking about with prostitutes. Yep, the soundtracks are also the type of tunes you wouldn’t want Grandma to be exposed to either, and in the case of GTA II, nothing illustrates this better than Taxi Drivers. Performed by Bula Matari, this British-tinged track is as potty-mouthed as they come; in fact, the expletives come so thick and fast that the PlayStation version was censored, replacing the offending material with the sound of a car horn. Way to ruin a good track, eh boys?

Let’s not lament the practice of censorship though. Broadcast on Head Radio (stop sniggering!), Taxi Drivers should be applauded for being big, loud and dumb, and a right good laugh. Like any good GTA song, it’s catchy as hell, and before you know it you’ll be singing lyrics that include delights such as “making your f***ing mind up” and watching “little b*****ds come crawling back!” We’ve had a good time in going on a rampage while listening to this mad track, and we’re sure we’re not the only ones either.

Relive it below.