"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.
You say I made you fall in love with me
Wish I could make you fall in love with you
You believed in the magic that us could be
And what that you and I means one could do
Every instinct you had said run from me
That this new found touch is uncomfortable
And to truly stand naked in front of me
Yourself for that then matter is something new
I take no pride knowing that
You avoid the mirror to shun what you despise
Never knew the beauty you came here with
'Til the first time you caught your reflection in my eyes
Never you mind what I see in you
Grow because you're beautiful, not because I need you to
Grow 'til you outstretch every single piece of you
Heaven will see you through but you gotta believe it's true
Go write your story
Even if, in the end, you might outgrow me
I'll always treasure the chapter that was mine
And twist through time with a smile knowing you're free
Puppy love is real to a puppy
I still wanna feel you touch me
I'm not saying leave me, please just be free
I love you so much, I don't want you to leave me
Puppy love's real to a puppy
I still wanna feel you up under me
Not saying leave me, please just be free
I love you so much, I don't want you to leave me
The sky all alone is glorious
We behold it but we cant hold it up
When god says that's it and hits the switch
It'll all come tumbling down when it's bored with us
Sweet you and all your radiance
I can please you, but I can't save you
I adore you and might even open up
But even I can't love you enough for both of us
Can't hold you close enough
Can't enter the holes you've boarded up
Close you're eyes, concentrate on my voice
Wanna make your love for me pure, make it a choice
Puppy love's real to a puppy
I still wanna feel you touch me
I'm not saying leave me, please just be free
I love you so much, I don't want you to leave me
Puppy love's real to a puppy
I still wanna feel you up under me
I'm not saying leave me, please just be free
I love you so much, I don't want you to leave me
The sky is there to behold
You just wanna be held when your cold
Just grow, stretch out your soul
And if you still want me I'll watch you grow old
The sky is there to behold
You just wanna be held when your cold
Just grow, stretch out your soul
And if you still want me I'll watch you grow old
Wish I could make you fall in love with you
You believed in the magic that us could be
And what that you and I means one could do
Every instinct you had said run from me
That this new found touch is uncomfortable
And to truly stand naked in front of me
Yourself for that then matter is something new
I take no pride knowing that
You avoid the mirror to shun what you despise
Never knew the beauty you came here with
'Til the first time you caught your reflection in my eyes
Never you mind what I see in you
Grow because you're beautiful, not because I need you to
Grow 'til you outstretch every single piece of you
Heaven will see you through but you gotta believe it's true
Go write your story
Even if, in the end, you might outgrow me
I'll always treasure the chapter that was mine
And twist through time with a smile knowing you're free
Puppy love is real to a puppy
I still wanna feel you touch me
I'm not saying leave me, please just be free
I love you so much, I don't want you to leave me
Puppy love's real to a puppy
I still wanna feel you up under me
Not saying leave me, please just be free
I love you so much, I don't want you to leave me
The sky all alone is glorious
We behold it but we cant hold it up
When god says that's it and hits the switch
It'll all come tumbling down when it's bored with us
Sweet you and all your radiance
I can please you, but I can't save you
I adore you and might even open up
But even I can't love you enough for both of us
Can't hold you close enough
Can't enter the holes you've boarded up
Close you're eyes, concentrate on my voice
Wanna make your love for me pure, make it a choice
Puppy love's real to a puppy
I still wanna feel you touch me
I'm not saying leave me, please just be free
I love you so much, I don't want you to leave me
Puppy love's real to a puppy
I still wanna feel you up under me
I'm not saying leave me, please just be free
I love you so much, I don't want you to leave me
The sky is there to behold
You just wanna be held when your cold
Just grow, stretch out your soul
And if you still want me I'll watch you grow old
The sky is there to behold
You just wanna be held when your cold
Just grow, stretch out your soul
And if you still want me I'll watch you grow old
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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,
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no one. srsly? this song. can make a girl with no feelings almost feel some stuff.