"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.
Breakfast at Mickey's, make-up still on
Elbows on the greasy tablecloth
One more coffee and one last cigarette
Smiling at the rain 'cause you hold me close
My best dress on underneath this old coat
Walking down Bleecker, no one is awake yet
And onward, seven hours
Nothing but clouds
And it's enough to make your heart sigh
I thought we should try
Pick me up and take me out
Ooh-ooh, we crash into love-filled nights
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
Ooh-ooh, we race 'til we're out of time
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
And now that, ooh-ooh, you've taken me up so high
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
I could see the lights from the restaurant
I couldn't quite perfect that nonchalance
Paris and champagne with one brown sugar cube
And we danced while the band played She's Not There
Kissed me in the rain by the Rue Voltaire
It's a perfectly good way to ruin those silk shoes
Still, seven hours
Nothing but clouds
And it's enough to make your heart sigh
We should try
For each other and for the lovers
Ooh-ooh, we crash into love-filled nights
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
Ooh-ooh, we race 'til we're out of time
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
And now that, ooh-ooh, you've taken me up so high
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
Ooh, you change and you grow
But we were young
We were young and we didn't know
We didn't know, ohh
Ooh-ooh, we crash into love-filled nights
(Paris nights and New York mornings, New York mornings)
Ooh-ooh, we race 'til we're out of time
(Paris nights and New York mornings, New York mornings)
And now that, ooh-ooh, you've taken me up so high
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
(Paris nights) don't let me down, don't let me down
(So high) don't let me down, don't let me down
(New York mornings) don't let me down
Elbows on the greasy tablecloth
One more coffee and one last cigarette
Smiling at the rain 'cause you hold me close
My best dress on underneath this old coat
Walking down Bleecker, no one is awake yet
And onward, seven hours
Nothing but clouds
And it's enough to make your heart sigh
I thought we should try
Pick me up and take me out
Ooh-ooh, we crash into love-filled nights
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
Ooh-ooh, we race 'til we're out of time
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
And now that, ooh-ooh, you've taken me up so high
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
I could see the lights from the restaurant
I couldn't quite perfect that nonchalance
Paris and champagne with one brown sugar cube
And we danced while the band played She's Not There
Kissed me in the rain by the Rue Voltaire
It's a perfectly good way to ruin those silk shoes
Still, seven hours
Nothing but clouds
And it's enough to make your heart sigh
We should try
For each other and for the lovers
Ooh-ooh, we crash into love-filled nights
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
Ooh-ooh, we race 'til we're out of time
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
And now that, ooh-ooh, you've taken me up so high
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
Ooh, you change and you grow
But we were young
We were young and we didn't know
We didn't know, ohh
Ooh-ooh, we crash into love-filled nights
(Paris nights and New York mornings, New York mornings)
Ooh-ooh, we race 'til we're out of time
(Paris nights and New York mornings, New York mornings)
And now that, ooh-ooh, you've taken me up so high
(Paris nights and New York mornings)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
Don't let me down (don't let me down)
(Paris nights) don't let me down, don't let me down
(So high) don't let me down, don't let me down
(New York mornings) don't let me down
Lyrics submitted by unusualyou
Paris Nights/New York Mornings Lyrics as written by Corinne Bailey Rae
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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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Silent Planet
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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Yo La Tengo
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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,
such a great song