"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.
It started when we were dancing
It got heavy when we got to the bathroom
We didn't go back to her place
We went to some place where she cat-sits
She said, "I know I look tired, but everything's fried here in Memphis"
Man, they want to know exactly which bathroom
Dude, does it make any difference?
It can't be important
Yeah, sure, I'll tell my story, again
In bar-light, she looked all right
In daylight, she looked desperate
That's all right, I was desperate too
I'm getting pretty sick of this interview
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
I think she drove a new Mustang
I guess it might be a rental
I remember she had satellite radio
I guess she seemed a bit nervous
Do you think I'm that stupid?
Well, what the hell
I'll tell the story, again
In bar-light, she looked all right
In daylight, she looked desperate
That's all right, I was desperate, too
I'm getting pretty sick of this interview
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
I went there on business
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
I went there on business
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
I went there on business
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
I went there on business
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
It got heavy when we got to the bathroom
We didn't go back to her place
We went to some place where she cat-sits
She said, "I know I look tired, but everything's fried here in Memphis"
Man, they want to know exactly which bathroom
Dude, does it make any difference?
It can't be important
Yeah, sure, I'll tell my story, again
In bar-light, she looked all right
In daylight, she looked desperate
That's all right, I was desperate too
I'm getting pretty sick of this interview
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
I think she drove a new Mustang
I guess it might be a rental
I remember she had satellite radio
I guess she seemed a bit nervous
Do you think I'm that stupid?
Well, what the hell
I'll tell the story, again
In bar-light, she looked all right
In daylight, she looked desperate
That's all right, I was desperate, too
I'm getting pretty sick of this interview
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
I went there on business
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
I went there on business
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
I went there on business
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
I went there on business
Subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis
Lyrics submitted by Alcoholandirony
Sequestered in Memphis Lyrics as written by Tad Kubler Craig Finn
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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It sounds to me like he is being questioned for a serious felony, like murder (or rape, but I think murder).
He admits to having sex with her. (DNA evidence) The cops what to know "exactly what bathroom". (possible crime scene site) He has to keep repeating his story. (to see if he changes his story) He's getting pretty sick of this interview. (interrogations are long, drawn-out ordeals) He describes her car, a Mustang, might be a rental, satellite radio. (all details the cops would want to know, cross reference, and enter into evidence/use to eliminate the suspect.)
He is innocent, the song is too cheery for him to have killed her....
I just figured this out right now. I've always loved this song, but didn't understand. Kind of strange...
Good observation. I don't know how we missed that. Relooking this I don't think he hurt her - 'I guess she seemed a bit nervous, do you think I'm that stupid'...sounds like they were asking him what he thought about this girl's demeanor - she was on the run or something? Maybe why she didn't have her own place, looked fried...maybe she did something to the owner's of the apartement they went to?
I just picked up on that as well.<br /> <br /> The chick could be nervous about the car, because she stole it. Also, the place where she cat sits could have just been some place she broke into.<br /> <br /> I need to sit down with the lyrics to ALL of the THS songs to figure out the Holly/Hoodrat/Hallelujah story, with Charlemagne and Gideon. Does THIS song fit into that story arc? Are the cops asking about Holly? And is it Charlemagne, or Gideon, or somebody else who is being interviewed in this song?