The luxury auto brand Audi is advertising its electric car, e-tron, during Super Bowl LIII on Sunday, February 3. In the commercial, a man reunites with his grandfather who welcomes him home and shows him the new Audi e-tron (which starts at $74,800) in the garage. Right before the man hits the accelerator, he’s awakened from his dream. A co-worker is performing the Heimlich Maneuver on him as he was choking on a cashew in his cubicle. He’s alive but not happy. That’s when the song “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum is heard.
Greenbaum wrote and recorded the famous song in 1969. The single became a gold record, selling two million copies in one year. Greenbaum (who is Jewish) said he was inspired to write the song which includes several references to Jesus after watching country singer Porter Wagoner sing a gospel song on TV.
“I wrote the words in 15 minutes,” said Greenbaum. “Spirit in the Sky” has been used in more than 12 TV ads for companies including Nike, HBO, American Express and Toyota. Greenbaum, now 76, lives in Santa Rosa, California. P.S. According to the ad, one third of all new Audi models will be electrified by 2025.
