"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.
Conrad's mother said Conrad dear
I must go out and leave you here.
but mind now, Conrad, what I say,
don't suck your thumbs while I'm away.
snip! snip
that great tall tailor, he always comes
for naughty boys who suck their thumbs
and ere they wonder what he's about,
he's got his great long scissors out.
snip snip the scissors go
and Conrad cries out oh!
snip snip they go so fast,
and Conrad's thumbs are off at last.
well,mama had scarcely turned her back,
when the thumbs were in , alack! alack!
the door burst open and in he ran,
that great long legged scissor man.
snip snip the scissors go
and Conrad cries out oh!
snip snip they go so fast,
and Conrad's thumbs are off at last.
well, mama comes home and there Conrad stands,
and he looks quite sad as he shows his hands,
Ha! Ha! said mama, I knew he'd come,
for naughty little suck-a-thumb.
CHORUS and Conrad breathes his last.
CHORUS and Conrad bleeds to death at last.
I must go out and leave you here.
but mind now, Conrad, what I say,
don't suck your thumbs while I'm away.
snip! snip
that great tall tailor, he always comes
for naughty boys who suck their thumbs
and ere they wonder what he's about,
he's got his great long scissors out.
snip snip the scissors go
and Conrad cries out oh!
snip snip they go so fast,
and Conrad's thumbs are off at last.
well,mama had scarcely turned her back,
when the thumbs were in , alack! alack!
the door burst open and in he ran,
that great long legged scissor man.
snip snip the scissors go
and Conrad cries out oh!
snip snip they go so fast,
and Conrad's thumbs are off at last.
well, mama comes home and there Conrad stands,
and he looks quite sad as he shows his hands,
Ha! Ha! said mama, I knew he'd come,
for naughty little suck-a-thumb.
CHORUS and Conrad breathes his last.
CHORUS and Conrad bleeds to death at last.
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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