"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.
Tell you where it's at
Ain't nobody crying now
'Cept for me
'Cause it always mattered to me yeah
Lost your head
Life is dead
So please
Don't come singing that sad song anymore
'Cause just doesn't matter to me
Find another fantasy
Yeah
Go on fly
Fly back to your flame
Just a game
How you play it
So please
You won't be running that game on me no more
'Cause you're gone baby gone to me
You ain't coming back
'Cause you're gone baby gone to me
Right back where it's at
Find another fantasy
As you fly
Fly back to your flame
Lost your game
No one playin'
So please
You won't be running that game 'round here no more
'Cause you're gone baby gone to me
(Ain't no use)
(Ain't no use)
You ain't coming back
'Cause you're gone baby gone to me
(Ain't no use)
(Ain't no use)
You ain't coming back
'Cause you're gone baby gone
(Ain't no use)
(Ain't no use)
Ain't nobody crying now
'Cept for me
'Cause it always mattered to me yeah
Lost your head
Life is dead
So please
Don't come singing that sad song anymore
'Cause just doesn't matter to me
Find another fantasy
Yeah
Go on fly
Fly back to your flame
Just a game
How you play it
So please
You won't be running that game on me no more
'Cause you're gone baby gone to me
You ain't coming back
'Cause you're gone baby gone to me
Right back where it's at
Find another fantasy
As you fly
Fly back to your flame
Lost your game
No one playin'
So please
You won't be running that game 'round here no more
'Cause you're gone baby gone to me
(Ain't no use)
(Ain't no use)
You ain't coming back
'Cause you're gone baby gone to me
(Ain't no use)
(Ain't no use)
You ain't coming back
'Cause you're gone baby gone
(Ain't no use)
(Ain't no use)
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Gone Baby Gone Lyrics as written by William R. Royce Scaggs
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Spirit Music Group
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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