"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'd give the World to start all over
Back in the old routine
To live my life in fields of clover
Back in the old routine
Give me my old straw hat and a-double-truckin'
Down the avenue we'll go
Folks passin' by us will stop and eye us
Soon there'll be more, all callin' "Encore"
We'll walk in a wonderful glow, Mister 'O'
Gee, The joy to be there floggin'
(Take your best shot, Son)
Back in the old routine
You're up, you're down, you're in there sluggin'
And you're makin' good)
Back in the old routine
Oh, give me the jazz, the razzamatazz
And we'll tread on Heaven's scene
Back in the old routine
I'd give the World to start all over
(No more blue songs)
Back in the old routine
To live my life in fields of clover
(Too-rah-loo-rah-loo songs)
Back in the old routine
Give me my old straw hat and a-double-truckin'
Down the avenue we'll go
(Man, you're flyin')
Folks passin' by us
(I'm lyin', I'm dyin')
Will stop and eye us
And soon there'll be more, all callin' "Encore"
We'll walk in a wonderful glow
(Oh-ho)
Oh gee, the joy to be there floggin'
(Heaven's near us)
Back in the old routine
You're up, you're down
(Hear them cheer us)
You're in there sluggin'
Back in the old routine
Oh, give me the jazz, the razzamatazz
And we'll tread on Heaven's scene
Back in the old routine
Oh, give me the jazz, the razzamatazz
And we'll tread on Heaven's scene
Back in the old routine
Back where the corn is green
Back in the old routine
Back in the old routine
To live my life in fields of clover
Back in the old routine
Give me my old straw hat and a-double-truckin'
Down the avenue we'll go
Folks passin' by us will stop and eye us
Soon there'll be more, all callin' "Encore"
We'll walk in a wonderful glow, Mister 'O'
Gee, The joy to be there floggin'
(Take your best shot, Son)
Back in the old routine
You're up, you're down, you're in there sluggin'
And you're makin' good)
Back in the old routine
Oh, give me the jazz, the razzamatazz
And we'll tread on Heaven's scene
Back in the old routine
I'd give the World to start all over
(No more blue songs)
Back in the old routine
To live my life in fields of clover
(Too-rah-loo-rah-loo songs)
Back in the old routine
Give me my old straw hat and a-double-truckin'
Down the avenue we'll go
(Man, you're flyin')
Folks passin' by us
(I'm lyin', I'm dyin')
Will stop and eye us
And soon there'll be more, all callin' "Encore"
We'll walk in a wonderful glow
(Oh-ho)
Oh gee, the joy to be there floggin'
(Heaven's near us)
Back in the old routine
You're up, you're down
(Hear them cheer us)
You're in there sluggin'
Back in the old routine
Oh, give me the jazz, the razzamatazz
And we'll tread on Heaven's scene
Back in the old routine
Oh, give me the jazz, the razzamatazz
And we'll tread on Heaven's scene
Back in the old routine
Back where the corn is green
Back in the old routine
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Back in the Old Routine Lyrics as written by Stone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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