"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.
Now I'm of consenting age to be forgetting you in a cabaret
Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen may even ask my name
As she sheds her skin on stage
I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's PA
The strip joint veteran sits two away
Smirking between dignified sips of his dignified
Peach and lime daiquiri
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, but I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead, d-dead, d-dead, d-dead in this place
Well I'm afraid that I
Well that's right
Well I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Well I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead, d-dead, d-dead, d-dead in this place
Well I'm afraid that I
Well that's right
That I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Praying for love and paying in naivety
Praying for love and paying in naivety, oh
Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen may even ask my name
As she sheds her skin on stage
I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's PA
The strip joint veteran sits two away
Smirking between dignified sips of his dignified
Peach and lime daiquiri
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, but I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead, d-dead, d-dead, d-dead in this place
Well I'm afraid that I
Well that's right
Well I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Well I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead, d-dead, d-dead, d-dead in this place
Well I'm afraid that I
Well that's right
That I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me?
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety?
Praying for love and paying in naivety
Praying for love and paying in naivety, oh
Lyrics submitted by ADimeADexter
But It's Better If You Do Lyrics as written by Spencer Smith George Ross
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
This song makes me think of the movie "Moulin Rouge!"
If you haven't seen Moulin Rouge!, it is basically about a guy, Christian, who is a writer. He comes to a strip joint, the Moulin Rouge, to work on a play. The first day he's there, he is mistaken for the Duke and is set up for an appointment with the most sought-after prostitute of the club, Satine. Christian thinks it's a poetry reading, and she thinks he's a client. He recites/sings Your Song by Elton John. Satine quickly confesses her love for him referring to him as the Duke but he tells her he isn't the Duke. She can't be with him and he wants her, but he doesn't have the money to pay.
"Oh, but I'm afraid that I Well, I may of faked it And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place" ------ Christian realizes Satine thinks he's the Duke and it isn't a poetry reading.
"Praying for love and a lap dance and paying in naivety." --------- Christian loves Satine but he can't pay, only in naivety.
"And isn't this exactly where you'd like me" ---- Possibly what Christian thinks, kind of like 'Oh, you wish I was the Duke.'
"Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen may even ask my name As she sheds her skin on stage I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's P.A." -------- When Christian first sees Satine, she is singing and dancing, and she is all over him in the crowd.
So that's my interpretation of the song, I hope it's not too far fetched.