"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.
My grandmother owned a night club
On the Arkansas-Oklahoma line
Mama put me on a Greyhound
And I went to stay with her in the summertime
I'd box up those empty long necks
And stack 'em in the back and make a hand
Then at night she'd let me sneak out
Of the kitchen and sit in with the band
Yes, I have sacked some quarterbacks
And broke my share of bones along the way
I knew it wouldn't last forever
Semi-pro always means semi-paid
I started climbing drilling rigs
I'm oil field trash and proud as I can be, yeah
Then I took my songs and guitar
And sang 'em to a man from Tennessee
I've played every beer joint tavern
From New York City out to Pasadena
Every corn dog fair and rodeo
And sold out every basketball arena
Like to get down with my boys
In Afghanistan and Baghdad city too
I am a red, white and blue blood
Graduate of honky-tonk U
A star can't burn forever
And the brightest ones will someday lose their shine
But the glass won't ever be
Half empty in my optimistic mind
I'll still have a song to sing
And a band to turn it up and play it loud
As long as there's a bar room
With a corner stage and a honky-tonk crowd
I've played every beer joint tavern
From New York City out to Pasadena
Every corn dog fair and rodeo
And sold out every basketball arena
I like to get down with my boys
In Afghanistan and Baghdad city too
Son, I'm a red, white and blue blood
Graduate of honky-tonk U
That's right a red, white and blue blood
Graduate of honky-tonk U
On the Arkansas-Oklahoma line
Mama put me on a Greyhound
And I went to stay with her in the summertime
I'd box up those empty long necks
And stack 'em in the back and make a hand
Then at night she'd let me sneak out
Of the kitchen and sit in with the band
Yes, I have sacked some quarterbacks
And broke my share of bones along the way
I knew it wouldn't last forever
Semi-pro always means semi-paid
I started climbing drilling rigs
I'm oil field trash and proud as I can be, yeah
Then I took my songs and guitar
And sang 'em to a man from Tennessee
I've played every beer joint tavern
From New York City out to Pasadena
Every corn dog fair and rodeo
And sold out every basketball arena
Like to get down with my boys
In Afghanistan and Baghdad city too
I am a red, white and blue blood
Graduate of honky-tonk U
A star can't burn forever
And the brightest ones will someday lose their shine
But the glass won't ever be
Half empty in my optimistic mind
I'll still have a song to sing
And a band to turn it up and play it loud
As long as there's a bar room
With a corner stage and a honky-tonk crowd
I've played every beer joint tavern
From New York City out to Pasadena
Every corn dog fair and rodeo
And sold out every basketball arena
I like to get down with my boys
In Afghanistan and Baghdad city too
Son, I'm a red, white and blue blood
Graduate of honky-tonk U
That's right a red, white and blue blood
Graduate of honky-tonk U
Lyrics submitted by liverlover9
Honkytonk U Lyrics as written by Toby Keith
Lyrics © Tokeco Tunes
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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