"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.
Words and music by John Kay and Michael Wilk
Money, money, day and night
You got to pay and pay
Well, I tell you honey, it just ain't right
To let them chase you that way
If dog eat dog is what they want then you must leave your mark
If dog eat dog is all they know you got to bite and bark
So if you need me to join the fight, girl
I'll be there right by your side
Oh, lean on me girl, I'm
Rock steady, I'm rough and ready
Nobody will make us run
Rock steady, I'm tough as any
Nobody will take our fun
Groan and moanin', rant and rave
It's 'bout to drive me wild
Well, you just mind your own and stay in your cave
And we won't have to fight
It's "Don't do this and don't say that and don't have too much fun
You can't do this, you can't say that, it simply isn't done".
Well, if we're needed to make a stand girl
We'll be right here side by side
Oh, stay with me girl I'm?br>
Rock steady, I'm rough and ready
Nobody will make us run
Rock steady, I'm tough as any
Nobody will take our fun
Ah baby, I go crazy,
Tryin' to deal with these jokers and clowns
Nobody here will turn us around
There's no more runnin' and no more time
It's here and now, I'm gonna stand my ground
Rock steady, I'm rough and ready
Nobody will make us run
Rock steady, I'm tough as any
Nobody will take our fun
© 1986 Rambunctious Music (ASCAP), Michael John Music (BMI)
Money, money, day and night
You got to pay and pay
Well, I tell you honey, it just ain't right
To let them chase you that way
If dog eat dog is what they want then you must leave your mark
If dog eat dog is all they know you got to bite and bark
So if you need me to join the fight, girl
I'll be there right by your side
Oh, lean on me girl, I'm
Rock steady, I'm rough and ready
Nobody will make us run
Rock steady, I'm tough as any
Nobody will take our fun
Groan and moanin', rant and rave
It's 'bout to drive me wild
Well, you just mind your own and stay in your cave
And we won't have to fight
It's "Don't do this and don't say that and don't have too much fun
You can't do this, you can't say that, it simply isn't done".
Well, if we're needed to make a stand girl
We'll be right here side by side
Oh, stay with me girl I'm?br>
Rock steady, I'm rough and ready
Nobody will make us run
Rock steady, I'm tough as any
Nobody will take our fun
Ah baby, I go crazy,
Tryin' to deal with these jokers and clowns
Nobody here will turn us around
There's no more runnin' and no more time
It's here and now, I'm gonna stand my ground
Rock steady, I'm rough and ready
Nobody will make us run
Rock steady, I'm tough as any
Nobody will take our fun
© 1986 Rambunctious Music (ASCAP), Michael John Music (BMI)
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Rock Steady (I'm Rough and Ready) Lyrics as written by Michael Wilk John Kay
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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