"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.
While passing through the clouds of diamond dust
As two mock suns arise beside our one
The sundogs guide the way towards the east
And set behind the valley of calm trees
The destination
Unfamiliar sands
Amongst the ice fog
A DC-8 awaits
Our means of travel
To visionary worlds
Let us imagine
Down in the valley the calm trees are swaying in time (we cant avert our eyes)
Down in the valley the flowers are food for the mind (no sign of passing time)
Over the hills where the mountains are tumbling down (a place of natural wonder)
Visions are clear as we notice the three suns align
Upon arrival
The dust and deserts drone
And no resistance
Could keep us from all time
There is no notion
In visionary worlds
Let us imagine
Traveling over the valley we feel the breeze
Taking in everything that there is to be seen
The suns in the distance are moments away from the dream
As two mock suns arise beside our one
The sundogs guide the way towards the east
And set behind the valley of calm trees
The destination
Unfamiliar sands
Amongst the ice fog
A DC-8 awaits
Our means of travel
To visionary worlds
Let us imagine
Down in the valley the calm trees are swaying in time (we cant avert our eyes)
Down in the valley the flowers are food for the mind (no sign of passing time)
Over the hills where the mountains are tumbling down (a place of natural wonder)
Visions are clear as we notice the three suns align
Upon arrival
The dust and deserts drone
And no resistance
Could keep us from all time
There is no notion
In visionary worlds
Let us imagine
Traveling over the valley we feel the breeze
Taking in everything that there is to be seen
The suns in the distance are moments away from the dream
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Fast Car
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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,
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Well shit happens :)