"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.
Packed a lunch of tea and orange
At Mercedes five and dime
Now I'm slipping out the back door
And I'm feeling alright
Found the bosses gold Camero
Think I'll take it for a ride
Cross the world to California
Where i know she's waiting
She picks me up like I've never been down before
And its hard to think you got the best of me yet
I can't believe while these dogs are at the
Door honey
You came to take apart what's left of me
120 down the freeway
About a thousand miles to go
Cross the border to resida
Outskirts on the avenue
can't escape the operator
California here I come
Groves are passing by the way
And I know its waiting
She picks me up like I've never been down before
And its hard to think you got the best of me yet
I can't believe while these dogs are at the
Door honey
You came to take apart what's left of me
Pileup on the Berkshire turnstile
About a thousand miles to go
There the feelin' faded quickly
Madonnas on the radio
Packed a lunch of tea and orange
Think I'll take it for a ride
Cross the world to California
Where I know she's waiting
She picks me up like I've never been down before
And its hard to think you got the best of me yet
I can't believe while these dogs are at the
Door honey
You came to take apart what's left of me
At Mercedes five and dime
Now I'm slipping out the back door
And I'm feeling alright
Found the bosses gold Camero
Think I'll take it for a ride
Cross the world to California
Where i know she's waiting
She picks me up like I've never been down before
And its hard to think you got the best of me yet
I can't believe while these dogs are at the
Door honey
You came to take apart what's left of me
120 down the freeway
About a thousand miles to go
Cross the border to resida
Outskirts on the avenue
can't escape the operator
California here I come
Groves are passing by the way
And I know its waiting
She picks me up like I've never been down before
And its hard to think you got the best of me yet
I can't believe while these dogs are at the
Door honey
You came to take apart what's left of me
Pileup on the Berkshire turnstile
About a thousand miles to go
There the feelin' faded quickly
Madonnas on the radio
Packed a lunch of tea and orange
Think I'll take it for a ride
Cross the world to California
Where I know she's waiting
She picks me up like I've never been down before
And its hard to think you got the best of me yet
I can't believe while these dogs are at the
Door honey
You came to take apart what's left of me
Lyrics submitted by revidescent
Dogs Lyrics as written by Roger Waters David Jon Gilmour
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
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Fast Car
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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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^Both of you guys are most likely fully or partially correct, but I would consider another avenue as well. When this album was released, Moist was REALLY famous in their Canadian stomping grounds. Like so many others that achieved commercial success(Bryan Adams, Alanis Morissette, Our Lady Peace, Shania Twain, etc), they were expected to move to LA, as that's what all famous distinguished rich people do. And they were conflicted about that supposed inevitability. Similar theme can also be found in Frank Black's "Los Angeles," Alice in Chains "Check My Brain," and Butch Walker's "Uncomfortably Numb."