"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.
We've seen some change
But we're still outsiders
If everybody's here
Then hell knows
We ride alone
I've seen some years
But you're still my Caesar
With everything I feel
I feel you've already been here
The only difference is all I see is now all that I've seen
It's bright on the outside
The bright love, the dark side
I know
It's obvious but sometimes
You just have to say it so
You don't feel so weak
About being such a freak
Or alone
In seventeen years
Will you still be Camille
Lee Miller, Gala or whatever
You know what I mean, yeah
Love'll die
Lovers fade
But you still remain there
Squeezing in your fingers
What it means for me to be, yeah
The only difference is what might be is now what might have been
When you saw me sleeping
You thought I was dreaming of you
No, I didn't tell you
That the only dream
Is Valium for me
I've seen some years
But you're still my Caesar
With everything I feel
I feel you've already been here
Love'll die
Lovers fade
But you still remain here
Squeezing in your fingers
What it means for me to be, yeah
The only difference
Is what might be is now
But we're still outsiders
If everybody's here
Then hell knows
We ride alone
I've seen some years
But you're still my Caesar
With everything I feel
I feel you've already been here
The only difference is all I see is now all that I've seen
It's bright on the outside
The bright love, the dark side
I know
It's obvious but sometimes
You just have to say it so
You don't feel so weak
About being such a freak
Or alone
In seventeen years
Will you still be Camille
Lee Miller, Gala or whatever
You know what I mean, yeah
Love'll die
Lovers fade
But you still remain there
Squeezing in your fingers
What it means for me to be, yeah
The only difference is what might be is now what might have been
When you saw me sleeping
You thought I was dreaming of you
No, I didn't tell you
That the only dream
Is Valium for me
I've seen some years
But you're still my Caesar
With everything I feel
I feel you've already been here
Love'll die
Lovers fade
But you still remain here
Squeezing in your fingers
What it means for me to be, yeah
The only difference
Is what might be is now
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Gentle Hour
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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,
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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Ed Sheeran
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Loving this song. I read in an article that it is kind of about Alex's high school years and how he was an outsider then. When it says "We've seen some change But we're still outsiders" He's saying that even though it's been a while he still feels like an outsider. I don't know if that's a bunch of crap or not, it's just what I read. This album is great, can't wait for Franz Ferdinand at the Big Day Out '06!