"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.
(These are the words of a frontier lad)
(Who lost his love when he turned bad)
Take a message to Mary
But don't tell her where I am
Take a message to Mary
But don't say I'm in a jam
You can tell her that I had to see the world
Tell her that my ship set sail
You can say she'd better not wait for me
But don't tell her I'm in jail
Oh don't tell her I'm in jail
Take a message to Mary
But don't tell her what I've done
Please don't mention the stagecoach
An' the shot from a careless gun
You can tell her that I had to change my plans
An' cancel out the wedding day
But please don't mention my lonely cell
Where I'm gonna pine away
Until my dying day
Take a message to Mary
But don't tell her all you know
My heart is achin' for Mary
Lord knows I miss her so
Just tell her that I went to Timbuktu
Tell her that I'm searchin' for gold
You can say she'd better find someone new
To cherish an' to hold
Oh Lord, this cell is cold
(Who lost his love when he turned bad)
Take a message to Mary
But don't tell her where I am
Take a message to Mary
But don't say I'm in a jam
You can tell her that I had to see the world
Tell her that my ship set sail
You can say she'd better not wait for me
But don't tell her I'm in jail
Oh don't tell her I'm in jail
Take a message to Mary
But don't tell her what I've done
Please don't mention the stagecoach
An' the shot from a careless gun
You can tell her that I had to change my plans
An' cancel out the wedding day
But please don't mention my lonely cell
Where I'm gonna pine away
Until my dying day
Take a message to Mary
But don't tell her all you know
My heart is achin' for Mary
Lord knows I miss her so
Just tell her that I went to Timbuktu
Tell her that I'm searchin' for gold
You can say she'd better find someone new
To cherish an' to hold
Oh Lord, this cell is cold
Lyrics submitted by Philadelphia Eagles, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Take a Message to Mary Lyrics as written by Felice Bryant Boudleaux Bryant
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, HOUSE OF BRYANT PUBLICATIONS
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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