"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.
Maybellene, why can't you be true
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
As I was motivatin' over the hill
I saw Mabellene in a Coup de Ville
A Cadillac arollin' on the open road
Nothin' will outrun my V8 Ford
The Cadillac doin' about ninety-five
She's bumper to bumper, rollin' side by side
Maybellene
Why can't you be true
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
The Cadillac pulled up ahead of the Ford
The Ford got hot and wouldn't do no more
It then got cloudy and started to rain
I tooted my horn for a passin' lane
The rainwater blowin' all under my hood
I know that I was doin' my motor good
Maybellene
Why can't you be true
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
Oh, Maybellene
Why can't you be true
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
The motor cooled down the heat went down
And that's when I heard that highway sound
The Cadillac asittin' like a ton of lead
A hundred and ten half a mile aheadv The Cadillac lookin' like it's sittin' still
And I caught Mabellene at the top of the hill
Maybellene
Why can't you be true
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
As I was motivatin' over the hill
I saw Mabellene in a Coup de Ville
A Cadillac arollin' on the open road
Nothin' will outrun my V8 Ford
The Cadillac doin' about ninety-five
She's bumper to bumper, rollin' side by side
Maybellene
Why can't you be true
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
The Cadillac pulled up ahead of the Ford
The Ford got hot and wouldn't do no more
It then got cloudy and started to rain
I tooted my horn for a passin' lane
The rainwater blowin' all under my hood
I know that I was doin' my motor good
Maybellene
Why can't you be true
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
Oh, Maybellene
Why can't you be true
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
The motor cooled down the heat went down
And that's when I heard that highway sound
The Cadillac asittin' like a ton of lead
A hundred and ten half a mile aheadv The Cadillac lookin' like it's sittin' still
And I caught Mabellene at the top of the hill
Maybellene
Why can't you be true
Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true
You've started back doin' the things you used to do
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Maybellene Lyrics as written by Chuck Berry
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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