"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.
There's no song for the singer
No words for the tune
There's a mess in the message
And a man on the moon
There's no plan in the planet
It's all gone berserk
There's a milk bottle shortage
And the traffic lights don't work
Lie down and be counted
Don't take any more
Lie down and be counted
What are we standing for?
But there's hope for the couples who stroll in the park
There's nuclear power to light up the dark
There's national health and ice in the fridge
And the occasional cow on a motorway bridge
There's extended credit on easier terms
And something to kill all known household germs
There's sofas and armchairs and washing machines
Stars on Sunday, fish fingers and beans
Lie down and be counted
Don't take any more
Lie down and be counted
What are we standing for?
There's no song for the singer, no words for the tune
There's a mess in the message and a man on the moon
There's no plan in the planet, it's all gone berserk
There's an everything shortage and the traffic lights still don't work
Lie down and be counted
Don't take any more
Lie down and be counted
What are we standing for?
Lie down and be counted
Don't take any more
Lie down and be counted
What are we standing for?
No words for the tune
There's a mess in the message
And a man on the moon
There's no plan in the planet
It's all gone berserk
There's a milk bottle shortage
And the traffic lights don't work
Lie down and be counted
Don't take any more
Lie down and be counted
What are we standing for?
But there's hope for the couples who stroll in the park
There's nuclear power to light up the dark
There's national health and ice in the fridge
And the occasional cow on a motorway bridge
There's extended credit on easier terms
And something to kill all known household germs
There's sofas and armchairs and washing machines
Stars on Sunday, fish fingers and beans
Lie down and be counted
Don't take any more
Lie down and be counted
What are we standing for?
There's no song for the singer, no words for the tune
There's a mess in the message and a man on the moon
There's no plan in the planet, it's all gone berserk
There's an everything shortage and the traffic lights still don't work
Lie down and be counted
Don't take any more
Lie down and be counted
What are we standing for?
Lie down and be counted
Don't take any more
Lie down and be counted
What are we standing for?
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Lie Down and Be Counted Lyrics as written by Neil James Innes
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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