"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.
A new day, another morning after
Leanin' back on my chair in a greasy spoon cafeteria
Last night was some beer-lairy-ness done our way
But again, we're back in the light of day
Chattin' shit, sittin' at the wall table, telling jokes
Playin with the salt, looking out the window
Girl brings two plates of full English over
With plenty of scrambled eggs and plenty of fried tomato
Get my phone out, about give this girl a shout
See if she had a nice time last night uptown
Ask if she fancies tryin' it again some time
Then Cal grabs the phone like oy, oy, oy, oy
Hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred
I know you can't stop thinking of her
By all means, you can vibe with this girl
But just don't mug yourself, that's all, don't mug yourself
Seriously Mick, you fucker, don't mug yourself
No, no, no, I mean, I'll fuckin', I'm no way
I mean I'll fuckin', I can take it or leave it, believe
And then Calvin's like, oy
You need to hold it down Jack, put your phone back
Quit starin' into space and eat your snack, that's that
She'll want you much more for not hangin' on
Stop me if I'm wrong, stop me if I'm wrong
Why should she be the one who decides
Whether it's off or on, or on, or off or on?
Now the girl's rude, I now she's rude
But she screwed right through you, you'll be on your knees soon
Hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred
I know you can't stop thinking of her
By all means, you can vibe with this girl
But just don't mug yourself, that's all, don't mug yourself
And I'm like, honestly it's not like that
You're actin' like I'm prancing like a sap
Jumpin' when she clap's and that
Oy, do you really think I act whack?
'Cause I'm telling ya, I'm servin' the aces
And it's game set and match
Perfectly in control of this goal, I've got the lead role
Won't be foldin', I'm older than you told
Girl sold, high speed's gold
Game over, game over, too cold
Hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred
I know you can't stop thinking of her
By all means, you can vibe with this girl
But just don't mug yourself, that's all don't mug yourself
Hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred
I know you can't stop thinking of her
By all means, you can vibe with this girl
But just don't mug yourself, that's all don't mug yourself
Oh yeah, hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred
I know you can't stop thinking of her
That girl is she has smelly on her Ps
She must have crab and fuckin' shrimp in her teeth
No, oh, no, that's it, that's it
Hold on, let me go again, let me go again
Are we, are we still recording?
Whoa, yeah
Leanin' back on my chair in a greasy spoon cafeteria
Last night was some beer-lairy-ness done our way
But again, we're back in the light of day
Chattin' shit, sittin' at the wall table, telling jokes
Playin with the salt, looking out the window
Girl brings two plates of full English over
With plenty of scrambled eggs and plenty of fried tomato
Get my phone out, about give this girl a shout
See if she had a nice time last night uptown
Ask if she fancies tryin' it again some time
Then Cal grabs the phone like oy, oy, oy, oy
Hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred
I know you can't stop thinking of her
By all means, you can vibe with this girl
But just don't mug yourself, that's all, don't mug yourself
Seriously Mick, you fucker, don't mug yourself
No, no, no, I mean, I'll fuckin', I'm no way
I mean I'll fuckin', I can take it or leave it, believe
And then Calvin's like, oy
You need to hold it down Jack, put your phone back
Quit starin' into space and eat your snack, that's that
She'll want you much more for not hangin' on
Stop me if I'm wrong, stop me if I'm wrong
Why should she be the one who decides
Whether it's off or on, or on, or off or on?
Now the girl's rude, I now she's rude
But she screwed right through you, you'll be on your knees soon
Hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred
I know you can't stop thinking of her
By all means, you can vibe with this girl
But just don't mug yourself, that's all, don't mug yourself
And I'm like, honestly it's not like that
You're actin' like I'm prancing like a sap
Jumpin' when she clap's and that
Oy, do you really think I act whack?
'Cause I'm telling ya, I'm servin' the aces
And it's game set and match
Perfectly in control of this goal, I've got the lead role
Won't be foldin', I'm older than you told
Girl sold, high speed's gold
Game over, game over, too cold
Hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred
I know you can't stop thinking of her
By all means, you can vibe with this girl
But just don't mug yourself, that's all don't mug yourself
Hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred
I know you can't stop thinking of her
By all means, you can vibe with this girl
But just don't mug yourself, that's all don't mug yourself
Oh yeah, hold it down boy, your head's getting blurred
I know you can't stop thinking of her
That girl is she has smelly on her Ps
She must have crab and fuckin' shrimp in her teeth
No, oh, no, that's it, that's it
Hold on, let me go again, let me go again
Are we, are we still recording?
Whoa, yeah
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Don't Mug Yourself Lyrics as written by Michael Geoffrey Skinner
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Hayalperest
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
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Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/