"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 got the surprise, the surprise of my life
I had to stop and stare
I saw a man dancing with his own wife
And you will never guess where
Where, where, where, yeah, yeah that side
Chicago, Chicago
That toddlin' town, the toddlin' town
Chicago, Chicago
I'll show you around, I love it
Bet your bottom dollar you lose the blues
In Chicago, Chicago
The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down
On State Street, that great street
I just want to stay, I just want to stay
They do things they don't do on Broadway, say
They have the time, the time of their life
I saw a man who danced with his wife
In Chicago, Chicago
Chicago, Chica-are-are-are-are-ago
Free and easy town, brassy, breezy town
Chicago, Chica-are-are-go
Let me cool my heels ri-ight down at Marshall Field
Come and walk with me along the lake
To the drake Hollar and Hoot, all through the loop
Shout how-now to Mrs. O'Leary's cow
No she, she, life is peachy
Chicago, we'll meat at the pump room, Ambassador East
To say the least, on shish kabab
And breast of squad we will and get fleeced
Don't tell me sin is rampant and rife
Think of that man who danced with his wife
In Chicago, Chicago
I'm in this city
What a wonderful windy, time
I had to stop and stare
I saw a man dancing with his own wife
And you will never guess where
Where, where, where, yeah, yeah that side
Chicago, Chicago
That toddlin' town, the toddlin' town
Chicago, Chicago
I'll show you around, I love it
Bet your bottom dollar you lose the blues
In Chicago, Chicago
The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down
On State Street, that great street
I just want to stay, I just want to stay
They do things they don't do on Broadway, say
They have the time, the time of their life
I saw a man who danced with his wife
In Chicago, Chicago
Chicago, Chica-are-are-are-are-ago
Free and easy town, brassy, breezy town
Chicago, Chica-are-are-go
Let me cool my heels ri-ight down at Marshall Field
Come and walk with me along the lake
To the drake Hollar and Hoot, all through the loop
Shout how-now to Mrs. O'Leary's cow
No she, she, life is peachy
Chicago, we'll meat at the pump room, Ambassador East
To say the least, on shish kabab
And breast of squad we will and get fleeced
Don't tell me sin is rampant and rife
Think of that man who danced with his wife
In Chicago, Chicago
I'm in this city
What a wonderful windy, time
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Chicago Lyrics as written by Fred Fisher
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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