"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.
Standing in the dock at Southampton, trying to get to Holland Or France
The man in the mac said, "you've got to go back,"
you know they didn't even give us a chance
Christ!
You know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
Finally made the plane into Paris, honeymooning down by the Seine.
Peter Brown called to say, "you can make it O.K.,
You can get married in Gibraltar near Spain."
Christ!
You know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
Drove from Paris to the Amsterdam Hilton, talking in our beds for a week.
The newspeople said, "say what you doing in bed?"
I said "we're only trying to get us some peace."
Christ!
You know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
Saving up your money for a rainy day,
Giving all your clothes to charity,
Last night the wife said,
"Oh boy, when you're dead you don't take nothing with your soul"
Think!
Made a lightning trip to Vienna, eating chocolate cake in a bag.
The newspapers said, "she's going to his head,"
They look like two Gurus in drag."
Christ!
You know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
Caught the early plane back to London, fifty acorns tied in a sack.
The men from the press said, "we wish you success,
It's good to have the both of you back."
Christ!
You know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
The man in the mac said, "you've got to go back,"
you know they didn't even give us a chance
Christ!
You know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
Finally made the plane into Paris, honeymooning down by the Seine.
Peter Brown called to say, "you can make it O.K.,
You can get married in Gibraltar near Spain."
Christ!
You know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
Drove from Paris to the Amsterdam Hilton, talking in our beds for a week.
The newspeople said, "say what you doing in bed?"
I said "we're only trying to get us some peace."
Christ!
You know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
Saving up your money for a rainy day,
Giving all your clothes to charity,
Last night the wife said,
"Oh boy, when you're dead you don't take nothing with your soul"
Think!
Made a lightning trip to Vienna, eating chocolate cake in a bag.
The newspapers said, "she's going to his head,"
They look like two Gurus in drag."
Christ!
You know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
Caught the early plane back to London, fifty acorns tied in a sack.
The men from the press said, "we wish you success,
It's good to have the both of you back."
Christ!
You know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me.
Lyrics submitted by softasfire
The Ballad of John and Yoko Lyrics as written by Paul Mccartney John Lennon
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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