The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
His lips don't move but, still he speaks,
His dark green eyes, stare at me,
His tells me of his papa working on the railway,
Blowing his harmonica, in the morning,
I'm Checking in, I'm checking out,
Feeling low, I'm feeling out,
Deeper fish,
Deeper lungs,
Deeper words for the deeper tongues,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
I'm burning the river, yeah,
Burning the river,
Burning I'm burning I'm burning I'm burning the river,
Oh the river,
Oh the river yeah
So I go home,
A girl lies in my bed,
I hold her hipbone and pull her closer,
I put her cold hands between my thighs,
Stare out the window, into a darkening sky
I'm Checking in, I'm checking out,
Feeling low, I'm feeling out,
Deeper fish,
Deeper lungs,
Deeper words for the deeper tongues,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
I'm burning the river, yeah,
Burning the river,
Burning I'm burning I'm burning I'm burning the river,
Oh the river,
Oh the river yeah
She's left only her body for me,
I lie here feeling her hair, waiting for sleep,
In the early, early hours of night, of night,
In the early, early hours of night, of night
I'm Checking in, I'm checking out,
Feeling low, I'm feeling out,
Deeper fish,
Deeper lungs,
Deeper words for the deeper tongues,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
I'm burning the river, yeah,
Burning the river,
Burning I'm burning I'm burning I'm burning the river,
yeah
Burning the river,
Burning I'm burning I'm burning I'm burning the river
His dark green eyes, stare at me,
His tells me of his papa working on the railway,
Blowing his harmonica, in the morning,
I'm Checking in, I'm checking out,
Feeling low, I'm feeling out,
Deeper fish,
Deeper lungs,
Deeper words for the deeper tongues,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
I'm burning the river, yeah,
Burning the river,
Burning I'm burning I'm burning I'm burning the river,
Oh the river,
Oh the river yeah
So I go home,
A girl lies in my bed,
I hold her hipbone and pull her closer,
I put her cold hands between my thighs,
Stare out the window, into a darkening sky
I'm Checking in, I'm checking out,
Feeling low, I'm feeling out,
Deeper fish,
Deeper lungs,
Deeper words for the deeper tongues,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
I'm burning the river, yeah,
Burning the river,
Burning I'm burning I'm burning I'm burning the river,
Oh the river,
Oh the river yeah
She's left only her body for me,
I lie here feeling her hair, waiting for sleep,
In the early, early hours of night, of night,
In the early, early hours of night, of night
I'm Checking in, I'm checking out,
Feeling low, I'm feeling out,
Deeper fish,
Deeper lungs,
Deeper words for the deeper tongues,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
He said I'm telling you, I'm telling you,
I'm burning the river, yeah,
Burning the river,
Burning I'm burning I'm burning I'm burning the river,
yeah
Burning the river,
Burning I'm burning I'm burning I'm burning the river
Lyrics submitted by dispatchrocks
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"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.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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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,
She's left only her body for me, I lie here feeling her hair, waiting for sleep,
I always took that as she fell asleep first... I never thought she was dead...