"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.
Radiger stands in the rain and the snow
Collector of autographs
Names upon photographs
Faces of people who everyone knows
Radiger lives in a place on his own
Briefcase and spectacles
Strange and respectable
He knows the meaning of being alone
Radiger works as a clerk in the town
Music or politics
Radiger gets his kicks
He gets information then he comes around
Radiger waits at the hall in Berlin
He waits there all night
Security's tight
They know who he is but they don't let him in
Radiger waits in the dark by the stair
His fingers are shaking
His feet they are aching
But your name's in the paper so Radiger's there
Collector of autographs
Names upon photographs
Faces of people who everyone knows
Radiger lives in a place on his own
Briefcase and spectacles
Strange and respectable
He knows the meaning of being alone
Radiger works as a clerk in the town
Music or politics
Radiger gets his kicks
He gets information then he comes around
Radiger waits at the hall in Berlin
He waits there all night
Security's tight
They know who he is but they don't let him in
Radiger waits in the dark by the stair
His fingers are shaking
His feet they are aching
But your name's in the paper so Radiger's there
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Rudiger Lyrics as written by Mark Knopfler
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
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Brilliant Song off the Golden Heart album. About a stalkerish person...
MK (Live In London '96) : " I actually wrote the words to this tune about 15 years ago about the time John Lennon was murdered ... It's really about the sort of fan, you know not a music fan, I love the music fan's, they're fantastic ... this is the sort autograph guy who just wants Saddam Hussein's autograph and everyone elses; It doesn't make any difference to him as your well known ... I wrote the song Rüdiger, that's his name Rüdiger."
Love the last line! Very creepy: "But your name's in the paper so Rüdiger's there"
Quite simply an amazing song!
I only just discovered this song, when I saw "Bandits". Even though I had seen the movie a couple of times before, I never really paid attention to this song until a couple of weeks ago. I'm crazy about its atmosphere and melancholic melody. Funny enough I just started liking Leonard Cohan about a year ago, so maybe this is the natural way, for my music taste to develop.
Oh and by the way. Chekout the rest of the "Bandits" soundtrack while you're at it. It's really good! :-D
I read many years ago, when the song came out, that MK wrote it for a real fan of him. This german guy, Rudiger, followed Direstraits first and then MK. So he waited in the halls for hours, "Rüdiger waits at the hall in Berlin He waits there all night Security's tight They know who he is but they don't let him in"
This guy finally happened to meet his hero Mark Knopfler after a long wait. Of course, the last part is clearly talking about an assault (John Lennon style), but I like to interpret this as a reflection of the sadness of following and worshipping someone without actually having a life and then having nothing after you meet that "someone". Beautiful, beautiful song.