"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.
Sebastian you're in a mess
You had a dream, they called you king
Of all the hipsters, is it true?
Or are you still the queen?
Like getting blood out of a stone
The city left you all alone
You came to dance, but there's no poignancy
When they all leave you standing alone
The wider issues of the day
Don't interest you, you'll have to pay
For looking at the floor
When people talk to you
You wrote a book about yourself
The people left it on the shelf
You'll write another one
Now you've got a story that's worth talking about
Are you happy with yourself?
Are you talking to yourself?
Are you happy with yourself?
Put the book back on the shelf
I know the company you keep
You're on the sofa hidden deep
While on the telly Sid James speaks
To you like God
You're always looking for a sign
But boy you blow it every time
You hear a voice begin to speak
You ignore it and go softly to sleep
You had a dream, they called you king
Of all the hipsters, is it true?
Or are you still the queen?
Like getting blood out of a stone
The city left you all alone
You came to dance, but there's no poignancy
When they all leave you standing alone
The wider issues of the day
Don't interest you, you'll have to pay
For looking at the floor
When people talk to you
You wrote a book about yourself
The people left it on the shelf
You'll write another one
Now you've got a story that's worth talking about
Are you happy with yourself?
Are you talking to yourself?
Are you happy with yourself?
Put the book back on the shelf
I know the company you keep
You're on the sofa hidden deep
While on the telly Sid James speaks
To you like God
You're always looking for a sign
But boy you blow it every time
You hear a voice begin to speak
You ignore it and go softly to sleep
Lyrics submitted by michaelbondy, edited by alex284
Put the Book Back on the Shelf Lyrics as written by Christopher Geddes Campbe
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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belle and sebastian on the radio playing songs for children belle an sebastian on the radio playing songs to learn and sing belle and sebastian... on the radio playing songs for children belle an sebastian on the radio playing songs to learn and sing
belle and sebastian on the radio and we're really sorry for all the trouble we've caused and all the trouble we've caused...
belle and sebastian on the radio playing songs for children playing songs for children playing songs for children
Belle & Sebastian write the greatest songs about alienation and loneliness
Scold. Scold, scold, scold. Bad reviewers, you've skipped one of the best B & S songs.
Soft strumming guitar, a little piano, and the best trumpet solo they've ever written.
plus gorgeous cello and violin, and AMAZING lyrics that define the feeling of being lost in society. truly terrific.
are YOU happy with yourself?
lovely. i love when he sings "standing alone"
haha...and here i thought they were singing about bosnian children...
"belle went to bosnia, on the radio, singing songs for children..."
Why does Stuart always refer to a book that someone (himself) wrote? Is it possible that he actually wrote a book titled "The state (that) I am in"?
Two corrections to the lyrics:
"Like getting blood out of a stone The city left you lost and gone..."
"The wider issues of the day Just pass you by, you're gonna pay..."
What does Belle & Sebastian mean??
"Belle ét Sebastien" is a series of books by Cécile Aubry (more if you look it up on Wikipedia). They had the permission to use that name from Aubry herself (you can read it on the back cover of their first albums).