"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.
When the shirt came off, it was all in time
When a minute turned into a mile
And then I broke that grin, and I cut it out
And you got all turned on by the taste of your sin
When I mention blue, all you thought was color
When you mention drugs, all I thought was sober
When your pants came off and I turned you over
When you mention blue
Kill, smile, cut it out for me this time
Smile, haven't seen him smile in awhile.
Keep the mask aligned
Get it up in time
There's a space between valleys
and try and catch a vibe
Make a circle square, a rectangle curve
Use a smile as a noun and I think like a verb
Run quick switch sides
Spill the filled up canister
And the room is shaking
Now you're changing places,
and I switched my pace,
and my breathing races when you mention blue
Kill, smile, cut it out for me this time
Smile, haven't seen him smile in awhile.
Kill, smile, cut it out for me this time
Smile, haven't seen him smile in awhile.
You, smile, cut out for me cut it cut it out
Smile, cut it out for me cut it cut it out
We cut it out
Get down and stay awake
Smile
When a minute turned into a mile
And then I broke that grin, and I cut it out
And you got all turned on by the taste of your sin
When I mention blue, all you thought was color
When you mention drugs, all I thought was sober
When your pants came off and I turned you over
When you mention blue
Kill, smile, cut it out for me this time
Smile, haven't seen him smile in awhile.
Keep the mask aligned
Get it up in time
There's a space between valleys
and try and catch a vibe
Make a circle square, a rectangle curve
Use a smile as a noun and I think like a verb
Run quick switch sides
Spill the filled up canister
And the room is shaking
Now you're changing places,
and I switched my pace,
and my breathing races when you mention blue
Kill, smile, cut it out for me this time
Smile, haven't seen him smile in awhile.
Kill, smile, cut it out for me this time
Smile, haven't seen him smile in awhile.
You, smile, cut out for me cut it cut it out
Smile, cut it out for me cut it cut it out
We cut it out
Get down and stay awake
Smile
Lyrics submitted by Adidasx007
Sound Effects and Overdramatics Lyrics as written by Jeph Howard Quinn Allman
Lyrics © THE BEST MUSIC COMPANY
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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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I firmly believe he says "Kill your smile" in the chorus.
Some other guy does back up screams in the bridge and choruses...dunno who he is...I'll know when the CD comes out and I see liner notes.
The song's about Crystal Meth. Blue is slang for Crystal Meth. "When I mention blue, all you thought was color" And sex..maybe gay sex? "When the pants came off and I turned you over", "Run quick switch sides Spill the filled up canister And the room is shaking Now you're changing places, and I switched my pace"
It's also about facades, that's what the entire smile thing is about. It's about pretending to be okay when you're not.