"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.
Let me introduce you
I've heard that boredom's entered your life
And you're feelin' real low
Have you met Benny Bailey?
Well he's a fella that you should know
They tell me lassitude's has laid you low
An' you're losin' your grip
You must meet Benny Bailey
At least he's somebody who is hip
To cure an ennui, you need a bon nuit
It's part o' the joie de vie
And his attention, I'm loathe to mention
Is, incident'ly, available
And so if providence should decree
Who'll stand in the way
So you'll meet Benny Bailey
And you'll remember your lucky day
Background Vocals: Once you've met
You won't forget
No stuff
Benny's tough
(Repeat 1,2,3)
This could be your lucky day
Incident'ly, he's the sort
Tho' seen at court
Carries an awful lotta weight
In many less royal quarters
Filled with less than regal daughters
Quite the quixotic Romeo whom every
Filly'll know because they find his
Reputation wherever they go
Whether it's here
Or whether it's in another boudoir
Whee!
He's such a scandal, really
T' handle him demands a savoir fairer
And a great indulgence rarer
Than any that I've encountered surveyin' the scene
But never mind, I'll explain it later
The fact is that he's always ready to please
And that's aroused a lot o'chatter
But it really doesn't matter, not to him
No siree! It's 'bout as big t'him as any flea
He's gotta be maitre'd
Or so it seems to me
Wait'll why'meet, you'll see what I'm sayin'
Background Vocals: Meet this cat
He's where it's at
That's right, outta sight
Benny Bailey
He's no slouch
For this I'll vouch
He's cool, he's no fool
To cure an ennui
You need a bon nuit
It's part of the joie de vie
He's the kind o'cat people hear about
But in a second-handed way
That there's nothing really clear about
Let me introduce you
I've heard that boredom's entered your life
And you're feelin' real low
Have you met Benny Bailey?
Well he's a fella that you should know
They tell me lassitude's has laid you low
An' you're losin' your grip
You must meet Benny Bailey
At least he's somebody who is hip
We're glad you got to meet Benny Bailey
I'm happy fin'lly meeting with you
I've heard that boredom's entered your life
And you're feelin' real low
Have you met Benny Bailey?
Well he's a fella that you should know
They tell me lassitude's has laid you low
An' you're losin' your grip
You must meet Benny Bailey
At least he's somebody who is hip
To cure an ennui, you need a bon nuit
It's part o' the joie de vie
And his attention, I'm loathe to mention
Is, incident'ly, available
And so if providence should decree
Who'll stand in the way
So you'll meet Benny Bailey
And you'll remember your lucky day
Background Vocals: Once you've met
You won't forget
No stuff
Benny's tough
(Repeat 1,2,3)
This could be your lucky day
Incident'ly, he's the sort
Tho' seen at court
Carries an awful lotta weight
In many less royal quarters
Filled with less than regal daughters
Quite the quixotic Romeo whom every
Filly'll know because they find his
Reputation wherever they go
Whether it's here
Or whether it's in another boudoir
Whee!
He's such a scandal, really
T' handle him demands a savoir fairer
And a great indulgence rarer
Than any that I've encountered surveyin' the scene
But never mind, I'll explain it later
The fact is that he's always ready to please
And that's aroused a lot o'chatter
But it really doesn't matter, not to him
No siree! It's 'bout as big t'him as any flea
He's gotta be maitre'd
Or so it seems to me
Wait'll why'meet, you'll see what I'm sayin'
Background Vocals: Meet this cat
He's where it's at
That's right, outta sight
Benny Bailey
He's no slouch
For this I'll vouch
He's cool, he's no fool
To cure an ennui
You need a bon nuit
It's part of the joie de vie
He's the kind o'cat people hear about
But in a second-handed way
That there's nothing really clear about
Let me introduce you
I've heard that boredom's entered your life
And you're feelin' real low
Have you met Benny Bailey?
Well he's a fella that you should know
They tell me lassitude's has laid you low
An' you're losin' your grip
You must meet Benny Bailey
At least he's somebody who is hip
We're glad you got to meet Benny Bailey
I'm happy fin'lly meeting with you
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Meet Benny Bailey Lyrics as written by Quincy D. Jones Jon Carl Hendricks
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.