"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
mother said "you turn my food to poison"
to my father on a cold Thanksgiving day
holidays leave me with empty noise and
so i turned my head and walked away
you said i never had to have a reason
just for feeling all the feelings that i do
summer days leave me with empty poison
and drunken was the day that i found you
sarah!
girl you know i love you and i'll love you for the rest of my life
sarah!
i'm always thinking of you i'm so sorry i can't make you my wife this life
no on else could make me feel so lonesome
as you made me feel on Thursday night
because you know when the world misunderstands me
only you can make me feel all right
sarah!
girl you know i love you and i'll love you for the rest of my life
sarah!
i'm always thinking of you i'm so sorry i can't make you my wife this life
i guess i thought that we could live forever
in a state of such imaginary grace
you could find you diamonds in my arms dear
i could find a reason in your face
and so i softly drop you at the station
slowly turn the key and drive away
do you kiss my lips with hesitation
because you're afraid of what they might say
oh lord i had such plans for us
to my father on a cold Thanksgiving day
holidays leave me with empty noise and
so i turned my head and walked away
you said i never had to have a reason
just for feeling all the feelings that i do
summer days leave me with empty poison
and drunken was the day that i found you
sarah!
girl you know i love you and i'll love you for the rest of my life
sarah!
i'm always thinking of you i'm so sorry i can't make you my wife this life
no on else could make me feel so lonesome
as you made me feel on Thursday night
because you know when the world misunderstands me
only you can make me feel all right
sarah!
girl you know i love you and i'll love you for the rest of my life
sarah!
i'm always thinking of you i'm so sorry i can't make you my wife this life
i guess i thought that we could live forever
in a state of such imaginary grace
you could find you diamonds in my arms dear
i could find a reason in your face
and so i softly drop you at the station
slowly turn the key and drive away
do you kiss my lips with hesitation
because you're afraid of what they might say
oh lord i had such plans for us
Lyrics submitted by DGitlin
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Fast Car
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Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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wow, this is a great f*ing song. where are you folks?
"do you kiss my lips with hesitation because you're afraid of what they might say?" - what an incredible lyric. This song is amazing!