| Leader of the Pack - Written by George Morton | | | | Dead Man's Curve - Written by Roger Christian |
| and recorded by the Shangri-Las in 1964. Betty | | | | and Jan Berry and recorded by the duo Jan and |
| falls in love with Jimmy, the leader of a | | | | Dean. The song is about a drag race that starts |
| motorcycle gang. Betty's parents don't like Jimmy | | | | at Sunset and Vine and ends at Dead Man's |
| and force her to break it off. When she does, | | | | Curve. The two cars, a Corvette Sting Ray and a |
| Jimmy speeds off into the rainy night. Betty calls | | | | Jaguar XKE, are tied as they approach the curve |
| after him to slow down but he loses control of his | | | | but then collide, killing both drivers. |
| bike. | | | | Lightning Crashes - Written and recorded by the |
| Tell Laura I Love Her - Recorded in 1960 by Ray | | | | band Live in 1995. The song was dedicated to a |
| Peterson and later by Ricky Valance. Tommy | | | | 19-year-old friend of the band killed by a drunk |
| wants to buy his girl a wedding ring and enters a | | | | driver. Many of her organs were donated, including |
| stock car race hoping to win the $1000 prize. | | | | her liver, which was given to a 10 month old baby. |
| During the race his car flips and bursts into flames. | | | | The song reflects on how her death enabled |
| Tommy's dying words are to tell Laura he loves | | | | others to live. |
| her. | | | | Untitled - Written and recorded in 1995 by Simple |
| Bat Out of Hell - Written by Jim Steinman and | | | | Plan. The lyrics describe the dying thoughts of an |
| performed by Meat Loaf. "Bat Out of Hell" has | | | | accident victim but the music video tells a bigger |
| every element a teen tragedy needs. There's the | | | | story. A drunken driver swerves head-on into the |
| boy who lives in a world of evil and shadows and | | | | path of a car driven by a teenage girl. The girl |
| the girl who brings light and goodness into his life. | | | | dies while the drunk driver is uninjured. The video |
| The boy rides his motorcycle too fast and misses | | | | illustrates the impact of the girl's death on her |
| a curve. As he lies dying next to his burning bike, | | | | family and friends. MADD uses this song in their |
| his heart beats so hard that it explodes out of his | | | | anti-drunk driving campaigns. |
| chest. | | | | DOA - Recorded in 1971 by Bloodrock. The song |
| Teen Angel - Recorded by Mark Dinning in 1959. | | | | is based on an airplane crash that killed the entire |
| Written by Jean Dinning and her husband, this | | | | Wichita State University football team. The lyrics |
| song is about a girl and her boyfriend out for a | | | | are an account by a victim who survived the initial |
| ride. The car stalls on the railroad tracks and the | | | | crash. Surrounded by body parts, he sees the |
| boy pulls the girl to safety. The girl runs back to | | | | hopelessness in the face of the medic attending |
| the car and gets hit by the train. When they find | | | | to him. Sirens in the background are shut off at |
| her body, she's clutching the boy's high school ring. | | | | the end of the song letting us know the victim |
| Last Kiss - Written by Wayne Cochran of the C.C. | | | | has died. |
| Riders. He started the song in 1956. Shortly | | | | Wreck on the Highway - Written and performed |
| before Christmas in 1962, a 16 year old named | | | | by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It |
| Jeanette was out with a group of friends. Another | | | | tells the story of a man who witnesses a rainy |
| car collided with a truck and spun into the path of | | | | night hit and run accident. The man is unable to |
| Jeanette's car. Three teens were killed and the | | | | sleep, tortured by what he saw. Springsteen was |
| rest were seriously injured. The accident inspired | | | | inspired by a 1940s Roy Acuff song of the same |
| Cochran to finish the song and dedicate it to | | | | name and says the song was a turning point in his |
| Jeanette. | | | | world view and song writing style. |