"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.
Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts
Oh, what a couple in love
Frankie was loyal to Johnny
Just as true as the stars above
He was her man
But he done her wrong
Frankie went down to the drugstore
Some ice cream she wanted to buy
The soda jerk told her that Johnny
Was making love to Nellie Bligh
He was her man
But he was doing her wrong
Now Frankie's dad was a policeman
She stole his old forty-four gun
Then back to the drugstore she beat it
Just as fast as she could run
After her man
Who was doing her wrong
Now Frankie peaked in on the party
She got a surprise when she saw
That Nellie and Johnny were making love
And sipping soda through a straw
He was her man
But he was doing her wrong
So Frankie flew into a tantrum
She whipped out that old forty-four
And her rootie-toot-boom, that gal did shoot
Right through that hardwood swinging door
She shot her man
'Cause he was doing her wrong
So bring on your crepe and your flowers
Bring on your rubber-tired hack
'Cause there's eight men to go to the graveyard
But only seven are coming back
She shot her man
'Cause he was doing her wrong
Now this is the end of my story
And this is the end of my song
Frankie is down in the jailhouse
And she cries the whole night long
"He was my man
But he was doing me wrong"
Oh, what a couple in love
Frankie was loyal to Johnny
Just as true as the stars above
He was her man
But he done her wrong
Frankie went down to the drugstore
Some ice cream she wanted to buy
The soda jerk told her that Johnny
Was making love to Nellie Bligh
He was her man
But he was doing her wrong
Now Frankie's dad was a policeman
She stole his old forty-four gun
Then back to the drugstore she beat it
Just as fast as she could run
After her man
Who was doing her wrong
Now Frankie peaked in on the party
She got a surprise when she saw
That Nellie and Johnny were making love
And sipping soda through a straw
He was her man
But he was doing her wrong
So Frankie flew into a tantrum
She whipped out that old forty-four
And her rootie-toot-boom, that gal did shoot
Right through that hardwood swinging door
She shot her man
'Cause he was doing her wrong
So bring on your crepe and your flowers
Bring on your rubber-tired hack
'Cause there's eight men to go to the graveyard
But only seven are coming back
She shot her man
'Cause he was doing her wrong
Now this is the end of my story
And this is the end of my song
Frankie is down in the jailhouse
And she cries the whole night long
"He was my man
But he was doing me wrong"
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Frankie and Johnny Lyrics as written by Sanford Schmidt Pd Traditional
Lyrics © MEMORY LANE MUSIC GROUP, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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