"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.
Happy birthday
Happy birthday
I love you so
Sixteen candles
Make a lovely sight
But not as bright
As your hazel eyes
Blow out the candles baby
Make a wish come true
Blow out three wishes
That you love me too
You're only sixteen (oh girl)
But you're my teenage queen (sixteen)
But you're the prettiest and the lovliest girl
I've ever seen (i've ever seen)
Sixteen candles
In my heart will glow
Forever and ever
Oh, I love you so (i love you so)
(1st chorus)
(2nd chorus)
Happy birthday
Happy birthday, baby
I love you so, oh, oh, oh, oh
Happy birthday
Happy birthday, baby
I love you so, baby, baby, baby, baby
Happy birthday
Happy birthday, baby
I love you so
Happy birthday
I love you so
Sixteen candles
Make a lovely sight
But not as bright
As your hazel eyes
Blow out the candles baby
Make a wish come true
Blow out three wishes
That you love me too
You're only sixteen (oh girl)
But you're my teenage queen (sixteen)
But you're the prettiest and the lovliest girl
I've ever seen (i've ever seen)
Sixteen candles
In my heart will glow
Forever and ever
Oh, I love you so (i love you so)
(1st chorus)
(2nd chorus)
Happy birthday
Happy birthday, baby
I love you so, oh, oh, oh, oh
Happy birthday
Happy birthday, baby
I love you so, baby, baby, baby, baby
Happy birthday
Happy birthday, baby
I love you so
Lyrics submitted by ButNeverOutgunned
Sixteen Candles Lyrics as written by Allyson R. Khent Luther Dixon
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I believe The Crests wrote this song originally... although many artists have covered it.
At work, we have a juke box, and this song, along with many others like it play all the time.
There are several other songs that play on the juke that mention age 16... and I'm wondering if the legal age was at one point 16 years of age, or if people like The Crests and Roy Orbison were looking for some statutory love...? LOLZ.
During the era, I don't think that they would have let such things fly if the legal age wasn't 16, unless of course there were marriage involved.