"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.
THE CAR SONG
[HARRY]
The weekend is the weekend
And it’s sunny in the park
I’ll stay here with my beer and fish and chips till it gets dark
I’ve got a lot of homework
But homework he can wait
I never start my homework till its already too late
My parents say think about your future and my teachers say the same
But it’s hard
When there’s a basketball game in the park
It’s 1998
And everybody’s saying:
“Harry, you’re going to be a lawyer some day…”
It’s Monday bloody Monday
And there’s two things I forgot
I forgot to do my homework
And I’ve only got one sock
I’m halfway through a test
But I just can’t concentrate
I’m sitting next to Fontaine
I want to ask her on a date
I really want to start a conversation
But each time she walks past
I start choking on my pencil
And fall flat on my ass
I need to concentrate
I have to get this grade
Or I might fail to be a lawyer someday
BRIDGE
But just right now
Can’ think of anything better to do
Than just sit down at the piano and a write this tune
And maybe later
Maybe later in the afternoon
I’ll sit back and relax
And think of all the things I’m going to do…
CHORUS
Someday…
I’ll buy an old car
Someday…
I’ll get that car to start
Someday…
I’ll learn how to drive too
And then Someday…
Imagine all the things I could do.
(That was 1998 now
Bring it forward to the present day now
Cause some things have changed
but some things never change)
The weekend is the weekend
And it’s sunny in the park
I’ll stay here with my beer and fish ‘n’ chips till it gets dark
I just saw Peter Parsons
Who used to be in my class
I always gave him wedgies cause I thought he worked too hard
He said, “Harry, life is great –
I feel so happy these days –
I’m a litigation lawyer –
So I got it made
I’m going out with Fontaine
Rememer her from tenth grade?
I drive a Porsche so I can’t complain…”
BRIDGE
Shit! And look at me can’t think of anything better to do
That just sit down at the piano and write this tune
And maybe later
Maybe later in the afternoon
I’ll sit back and relax and think of all the things I’m going to do…
CHORUS
[HARRY]
The weekend is the weekend
And it’s sunny in the park
I’ll stay here with my beer and fish and chips till it gets dark
I’ve got a lot of homework
But homework he can wait
I never start my homework till its already too late
My parents say think about your future and my teachers say the same
But it’s hard
When there’s a basketball game in the park
It’s 1998
And everybody’s saying:
“Harry, you’re going to be a lawyer some day…”
It’s Monday bloody Monday
And there’s two things I forgot
I forgot to do my homework
And I’ve only got one sock
I’m halfway through a test
But I just can’t concentrate
I’m sitting next to Fontaine
I want to ask her on a date
I really want to start a conversation
But each time she walks past
I start choking on my pencil
And fall flat on my ass
I need to concentrate
I have to get this grade
Or I might fail to be a lawyer someday
BRIDGE
But just right now
Can’ think of anything better to do
Than just sit down at the piano and a write this tune
And maybe later
Maybe later in the afternoon
I’ll sit back and relax
And think of all the things I’m going to do…
CHORUS
Someday…
I’ll buy an old car
Someday…
I’ll get that car to start
Someday…
I’ll learn how to drive too
And then Someday…
Imagine all the things I could do.
(That was 1998 now
Bring it forward to the present day now
Cause some things have changed
but some things never change)
The weekend is the weekend
And it’s sunny in the park
I’ll stay here with my beer and fish ‘n’ chips till it gets dark
I just saw Peter Parsons
Who used to be in my class
I always gave him wedgies cause I thought he worked too hard
He said, “Harry, life is great –
I feel so happy these days –
I’m a litigation lawyer –
So I got it made
I’m going out with Fontaine
Rememer her from tenth grade?
I drive a Porsche so I can’t complain…”
BRIDGE
Shit! And look at me can’t think of anything better to do
That just sit down at the piano and write this tune
And maybe later
Maybe later in the afternoon
I’ll sit back and relax and think of all the things I’m going to do…
CHORUS
Lyrics submitted by -ME-
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i feel this song so much. i never did homework, too busy drinking beers and eating maccas, playing basketball and hanging out in a park while i was meant to be at school.
now all my mates are gonig to uni or something and im a bouncer. haha. i dont mind. im more than happy with my choices in life because as this song is saying, you can do everything the right way and get everything you want, or you can do everything you want, and have it anyway.
Do wat u love, and love wat u do.