"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.
In my yellow jersey, I went out on the nick
South street Romford shopping arcade
Got a Razzle magazine, I never paid
Inside my jacket, and away double-quick
Good sense told me once was enough
But I had a cocky eye on more of the stuff
Put the Razzle in my pocket back to have another pick
Instead of being sneaky, I strolled inside
I put my thieving hand on something rude
I walked right out with a silhouette of nudes
'Hold on sonny,' said a voice at my side
'I think you've taken one of my books'
Passers by gave me dirty looks
'Not me, mister,' I bravely lied
We stopped by the window of a jeweller's shop
'If it's money for your lunch, I'd have given you a loan
Have you got any form? Were you on your own?
Round to the station and we'll tell the cops.'
'I'm ever so ashamed, it was wicked and rash
Here's the book back, and here's the cash
I've never stole before, I promise I'll stop'
'Crime doesn't pay, you've got honest eyes
If we go to the law, another thief is born
And I'll get the book back creased and torn
So return what you've taken and apologise.'
I gave him back his nudey book
I said I was sorry; I slung my hook
With the Razzle in my pocket as the second prize
South street Romford shopping arcade
Got a Razzle magazine, I never paid
Inside my jacket, and away double-quick
Good sense told me once was enough
But I had a cocky eye on more of the stuff
Put the Razzle in my pocket back to have another pick
Instead of being sneaky, I strolled inside
I put my thieving hand on something rude
I walked right out with a silhouette of nudes
'Hold on sonny,' said a voice at my side
'I think you've taken one of my books'
Passers by gave me dirty looks
'Not me, mister,' I bravely lied
We stopped by the window of a jeweller's shop
'If it's money for your lunch, I'd have given you a loan
Have you got any form? Were you on your own?
Round to the station and we'll tell the cops.'
'I'm ever so ashamed, it was wicked and rash
Here's the book back, and here's the cash
I've never stole before, I promise I'll stop'
'Crime doesn't pay, you've got honest eyes
If we go to the law, another thief is born
And I'll get the book back creased and torn
So return what you've taken and apologise.'
I gave him back his nudey book
I said I was sorry; I slung my hook
With the Razzle in my pocket as the second prize
Lyrics submitted by Monopatinista
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Ebba Grön
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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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,
When We Were Young
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
I love this song, probably my second favorite of Dury's after 'My Old Man.' This song just captures exactly what childhood was like. Spending the holidays misbehaving, taking small victories in the world of adults, and blagging your way out of trouble. 'With the Razzle in my pocket as the second prize' is a line that, to me, just sums up how small your life is when you're a kid, but that at the time you thought everything was so big and important.
Oh and on a more intellectual note, has anyone noticed the strange rhyme scheme? It's two groups of fourteen lines, sort of like a pair of sonnets, but the rhyme scheme is nothing like the sonnets I was taught about when I was a kid. Still, Ian Dury is one great songwriter to come up with this. Definitely one of my favorite songs!
A great Ian Dury track. I too love the way he says 'with the razzle in my pocket as the second prize.' It's like a sense of achievement that he got away with it after all!