"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.
I will not drown in shallow water
Not with your love within my reach
I did not come this far to falter
And will not rest until I'm free
You are the sun, you are the flower
You are the wind across the sea
And I will kneel here at your altar
And pray you'll take my soul to keep
Oh, precious one, you are the mountain
You are the earth beneath my feet
In you we're one now and forever
In you I find the love in me
Through your love my eyes are open
Through your love I'll learn to see
And in your name my bread is broken
By your grace I'll rest in peace
I will not drown in shallow water
Not with your love within my reach
I did not come this far to falter
And will not rest until I'm free
Through your love my eyes are open
Through your love I'll learn to see
And in your name my bread is broken
By your grace I'll rest in peace
I will not drown in shallow water
Not with your love within my reach
I did not come this far to falter
And will not rest until I'm free
I will not rest until I'm free
Until I'm free
Not with your love within my reach
I did not come this far to falter
And will not rest until I'm free
You are the sun, you are the flower
You are the wind across the sea
And I will kneel here at your altar
And pray you'll take my soul to keep
Oh, precious one, you are the mountain
You are the earth beneath my feet
In you we're one now and forever
In you I find the love in me
Through your love my eyes are open
Through your love I'll learn to see
And in your name my bread is broken
By your grace I'll rest in peace
I will not drown in shallow water
Not with your love within my reach
I did not come this far to falter
And will not rest until I'm free
Through your love my eyes are open
Through your love I'll learn to see
And in your name my bread is broken
By your grace I'll rest in peace
I will not drown in shallow water
Not with your love within my reach
I did not come this far to falter
And will not rest until I'm free
I will not rest until I'm free
Until I'm free
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Shallow Water Lyrics as written by Thomas E. Kimmel
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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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