"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.
Tim Finnegan lived in Wattling Street
A gentle Irishman mighty odd
He'd a beautiful brogue so rich and sweet
To rise in the world he carried a hod
See he'd sort of a tripling way
With love for a liquor poor Tim was born
To help him on with his work each day
He'd a drop of the Craythor every morn'
One morning Tim was rather full
His head felt heavy, which made him shake
Fell from the ladder and broke his skull
So they carried him home, his corpse to wake
Rolled him up in a nice clean sheet
And laided him upon the bed
A bottle of whiskey at his feet
And a gallon of porter at his head
And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
His friends assembled at his wake
And Missus Finnegan called for lunch
First they brought in tay and cake
Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey punch
Biddy O'Brien begged to cry
Such a nice clean corpse did you see
Aye, Tim me boy, oh why did you die?
Arrah shut your gob said Paddy MCGee
And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
Then Peggy O'Connor took up the job
Biddy says she you're wrong I'm sure
Biddy then gave her a belt on the gob
And left her sprawling on the floor
There the war did soon engage
Woman to woman and man to man
Shillelah-law was all the rage
An a row and a ruction soon began
Mickey Maloney raised his head
When a bottle Of whiskey flew at him
It missed him falling on the bed
The liquor scattered over Tim
Tim revives, see how he rises
Timothy rising from the bed
Whirl your whiskey around like blazes
Tonamondeal, do you think I'm dead
And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
A gentle Irishman mighty odd
He'd a beautiful brogue so rich and sweet
To rise in the world he carried a hod
See he'd sort of a tripling way
With love for a liquor poor Tim was born
To help him on with his work each day
He'd a drop of the Craythor every morn'
One morning Tim was rather full
His head felt heavy, which made him shake
Fell from the ladder and broke his skull
So they carried him home, his corpse to wake
Rolled him up in a nice clean sheet
And laided him upon the bed
A bottle of whiskey at his feet
And a gallon of porter at his head
And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
His friends assembled at his wake
And Missus Finnegan called for lunch
First they brought in tay and cake
Then pipes, tobacco and whiskey punch
Biddy O'Brien begged to cry
Such a nice clean corpse did you see
Aye, Tim me boy, oh why did you die?
Arrah shut your gob said Paddy MCGee
And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
Then Peggy O'Connor took up the job
Biddy says she you're wrong I'm sure
Biddy then gave her a belt on the gob
And left her sprawling on the floor
There the war did soon engage
Woman to woman and man to man
Shillelah-law was all the rage
An a row and a ruction soon began
Mickey Maloney raised his head
When a bottle Of whiskey flew at him
It missed him falling on the bed
The liquor scattered over Tim
Tim revives, see how he rises
Timothy rising from the bed
Whirl your whiskey around like blazes
Tonamondeal, do you think I'm dead
And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
And whack Fol-De-Dah now dance to your partner
Welt the floor, your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
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Oi you kids, these are the actual lyrics, so there shall be no more disputing
Tim Finnegan lived in Walkin Street A gentle Irishman, mighty odd He'd a beautiful brogue so rich and sweet And to rise in the world he carried a hod. ya see he'd a sort of the tipplin' way With a love for the liquor poor Tim was born And to help him on with his work each day He'd a drop of the Craythur every morn.
Whack fol the dah O, dance to your partner Welt the floor, your trotters shake; Wasn't it the truth I told you Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake!
One mornin' Tim was rather full His head felt heavy which made him shake; He fell from the ladder and broke his skull And they carried him home his corpse to wake. They rolled him up in a nice clean sheet And laid him out upon the bed, A gallon of whiskey at his feet And a barrel of porter at his head.
His friends assembled at the wake And Mrs. Finnegan called for lunch, First she brought in tay and a cake Then pipes, tobacca' and whiskey punch. Biddy O'Brien began to cry "Such a nice clean corpse, did you ever see? "O Tim, mavourneen2, why did you die?" "Arragh, hold your gob" cried Paddy McGhee!
Chorus
Then Maggie O'Connor took up the job "O Biddy," says she, "You're wrong, I'm sure" Biddy she gave her a belt in the gob And left her sprawlin' on the floor. And then the war did soon engage 'Twas woman to woman and man to man, Shillelagh law was all the rage And a row and a ruction soon began.
Then Mickey Maloney raised his head When a noggin of whiskey flew at him, It missed, and falling on the bed The liquor scattered over Tim! Tim revives! See how he rises! Timothy rising from the bed, Says, "Whirl your whiskey around like blazes" "Thanum an Dhul 3, do you thunk I'm dead?"
Craythur is an old Gaelic term for Whiskey.
I prefer the version where he says '...,Tunderin' Jaysus, do you think i'm dead?' I think it lightens the mood of the song a bit more
Also just to add for the Americans we would hear Craythur like this:<br /> <br /> <br /> He had a drop of the creature...<br /> <br /> I think they just wrote it out with the heavy Irish accent changing it<br />