I have the Detroit Auto Show on NBC on in the background and they were showing a bunch of new mercedes and playing Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz" song. I always assumed she wrote the song to mock the people who pray to god and wish for a luxury car over something more valuable.. is this correct?

Not really. It's a fairly simple song, and doesn't sound like anything except what it is:

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV ?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV ?

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town ?
I'm counting on you, Lord, please don't let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town ?

Everybody!
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends,
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?

I never saw the song as mocking at all.

can;t tell if you guys are being sarcastic or not

Not being sarcastic at all. Read the lyrics. All I read is someone singing about working hard all their life, and wanting a few simple rewards. Your basic "everyone else has nice things, so what about me for a change?" kind of thing.

I always thought it was a statement against anti-consumerism (kind of a fight club moral for the 60s)... during her time, people were fighting for peace, change and civil rights, yet some people were more concerned about getting a luxury car.

Yeah, when you put it that way, I can kind of see your point. I guess it's like anything, one interprets things differently. Still, if there were more extravagant things being mentioned in the song, I might lean more towards the anti-consumerism message, especially if it came across sarcastically. Me, I'm going to stick with the interpretation of it just being someone who wants a few rewards out of life.

Even if the song was meant to mock Mercedes, 99% of people didn't get it and it fit the auto show just fine.

Not sarcastic at all.

A nice little ditty that Joplin probably whipped together at 2 am in the back of a tour bus, just fuckin around with a drink and her guitar. Nothing more.

Great song

How can someone listen to Janis tell God, "Proooove that you love me and buy the next round" of beer and think she's serious?

Another clue is that she finishes with a big laugh.

Mercedes actually used this in commercials back in '96.