"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.
Now the cover of a Rolling Stone
Ain't the cover of a Rolling Stone
And the music on my radio
Ain't supposed to make me feel alone
Would you liked to know
Have to learn to let it go
Show me something I can be
Play a song that I can sing
Make me feel as I am free
Someone come speak for me
Well they're celebrating broken things
I don't wanna world of broken things
You can tell that something isn't right
When all your heroes are in black and white
Would you have liked to say
At least I still have yesterday
Show me something I can be
Play a song that I can sing
Make me feel as I am free
Someone come speak for me
Someone come speak for me
La di da di da
La di da di da
La di da di da di da di da
La di da di da di da di da
Hey
I'm not mad about it
But I'm not mad about it
I'm not mad about it
But I'm not that mad about it
Just show me something I can be
Play a song that I can sing
Make me feel as I am free
Someone come speak for me
Someone come speak for me
Someone come speak for me
Now the cover of a Rolling Stone
Ain't the cover of a Rolling Stone
Ain't the cover of a Rolling Stone
And the music on my radio
Ain't supposed to make me feel alone
Would you liked to know
Have to learn to let it go
Show me something I can be
Play a song that I can sing
Make me feel as I am free
Someone come speak for me
Well they're celebrating broken things
I don't wanna world of broken things
You can tell that something isn't right
When all your heroes are in black and white
Would you have liked to say
At least I still have yesterday
Show me something I can be
Play a song that I can sing
Make me feel as I am free
Someone come speak for me
Someone come speak for me
La di da di da
La di da di da
La di da di da di da di da
La di da di da di da di da
Hey
I'm not mad about it
But I'm not mad about it
I'm not mad about it
But I'm not that mad about it
Just show me something I can be
Play a song that I can sing
Make me feel as I am free
Someone come speak for me
Someone come speak for me
Someone come speak for me
Now the cover of a Rolling Stone
Ain't the cover of a Rolling Stone
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CORRECTED LYRICS:
Now the cover of a Rolling Stone Ain't the cover of a Rolling Stone And the music on my radio Ain't supposed to make me feel alone
What a drag to know I'll have to learn to let it go
Show me something I can be And play a song that I can sing Make me feel as I am free Someone come speak for me
Well they're celebrating broken things I don't want a world of broken things You can tell that something isn't right When all your heroes are in black and white
What a drag to say At least I still have yesterday
Show me something I can be And play a song that I can sing Make me feel as I am free Someone come speak for me
I'm not mad about it But I'm not mad about it I'm not mad about it But I'm not that mad about it
Just show me something I can be And play a song that I can sing Make me feel as I am free Someone come speak for me
I agree, except that in the third last section "Someone come, speak for me" is sung twice rather than once. Apart from that, these lyrics are what I heard as well.
Oh, and also that line is sung three times in the last section rather than just once, and the first two lines and then repeated at the end.
*Thank you for the lyrics correction, above!!
How cool is it that I get to be first in posting about this song? I am so cool. And it's even been more than a year. Many of you may have felt the same way I did when I first heard this song. Why would he want anyone else to speak for him?? I didn't really know how to feel about it besides weird.
But after I heard this song about five or six times, I thought to myself, this has to be simple. I'm just making it hard....what the fuck is he saying?!?
And I believe that what he's saying basically is this: that there's no one of his generation, who gets airplay these days, who really speaks to him or for him through their music. He favors vintage songwriters aka 'heroes in black and white' (he even throws in a Simon/Garfunkel chord progression here). He yearns to find someone present-day who he's passionate about. Who can make him feel as if he's a part of one human family aka 'ain't supposed to make me feel alone' or make him feel 'free'?
He's not gonna be 'mad about it' and realizes he just has to 'learn to let it go' just like anything else that plagues him as opposed to letting it ruin him.
A 'rolling stone gathers no moss' references 'the cover of a Rolling Stone ain't a cover of a rollin stone' in the respect that Rolling Stone is a trash publication, run by a brat frat (hehe my opinion) unlike what it used to be, back in the day. When you were on the cover of RS, it used to mean something!! Unlike today, where you find anyone and everyone on the cover.
He is lamenting that there's plenty of moss to be found. Maybe he's saying it's not the movers and the shakers, it's the money makers. It's not heart and soul, it's moneyed control. (I stopped reading it when they featured a 17-yo Britney in a sexy David LaChappelle spread. Creepy.)
All I have to say about this is: what a drag it must be to be such a phenomenal songwriter. I have no idea why you in particular, are so unique in this area. For whatever reason, you are blessed and WE are blessed by your music. If you have found anyone who inspires you, old or new, count yourself as fortunate. In general, just count your blessings. Keep doing what you're great at. You are part of a new movement and you are inspiring those around you, far and wide. Statistically, you can't be alone. It's impossible. Hold the flame for thousands of songwriters to arrive and inspire us all with whatever they're inspired by and whatever insights they care to share about what it means to be human. And please don't ever stop. Amen.
I forgot to add that in general, the whimsical picking style is reminiscent of Lindsay Buckingham, also. I know there's more...anyone?<br />
Dang, I wish I could delete the last comment. I saw that someone else had said this song sounded like Lindsay Buckingham and upon further reflection, I revoke that statement and stick to Simon and Garfunkel ALL the way ;)