"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.
Well in a hundred years from now
They will attempt to tell us how
A scientific means to bliss
Will supersede the human kiss
A sub atomic chain
Will maybe galvanize the brain
A biochemic trance
Will eliminate romance
But why ever should we care
When there are arrows in the air
Formed by lovers' ancient art
That go straight to my heart
A future sugar coated pill
Would give our lovers time to kill
I think they're working far too much
For the redundancy of touch
But what will make me yours
Are a million deadly spores
Formed by lovers' ancient art
That go straight to my heart
Come into my door
Be the light of my life
Come into my door
You'll never have to sweep the floor
Come into my door
Be the light of my life
Come into my door
Come and be my wife
I'll be true. To no one but you
If it's a future world we fear
We have tomorrow's seeds right here
For you can hold them in your hand
Or let them fall into the sand
But if our love is pure
The only thing of which we're sure
Then you can play your part
And go straight to my heart
If I should seek immunity
And love you with impunity
Then the only thing to do
Is for me to pledge myself to you
But they only dealt one card
So for me it is not hard
You're the bright star in my chart
You go straight to my heart
Come into my door
Be the light of my life
Come into my door
You'll never have to sweep the floor
Come into my door
Be the light of my life
Come into my door
Come and be my wife
I'll be true. To no one but you
They will attempt to tell us how
A scientific means to bliss
Will supersede the human kiss
A sub atomic chain
Will maybe galvanize the brain
A biochemic trance
Will eliminate romance
But why ever should we care
When there are arrows in the air
Formed by lovers' ancient art
That go straight to my heart
A future sugar coated pill
Would give our lovers time to kill
I think they're working far too much
For the redundancy of touch
But what will make me yours
Are a million deadly spores
Formed by lovers' ancient art
That go straight to my heart
Come into my door
Be the light of my life
Come into my door
You'll never have to sweep the floor
Come into my door
Be the light of my life
Come into my door
Come and be my wife
I'll be true. To no one but you
If it's a future world we fear
We have tomorrow's seeds right here
For you can hold them in your hand
Or let them fall into the sand
But if our love is pure
The only thing of which we're sure
Then you can play your part
And go straight to my heart
If I should seek immunity
And love you with impunity
Then the only thing to do
Is for me to pledge myself to you
But they only dealt one card
So for me it is not hard
You're the bright star in my chart
You go straight to my heart
Come into my door
Be the light of my life
Come into my door
You'll never have to sweep the floor
Come into my door
Be the light of my life
Come into my door
Come and be my wife
I'll be true. To no one but you
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It's certainly a romantic song but the first couple of verses can be taken quite literally. With all the drugs out there today, I wouldn't be surprised if some pharmacuetical company came up with a pill that makes it unnecessary to have romantic relationships with other people. This premise would make a great sci-fi movie!
"...he said, lady, find some other guy to play your dumb heart part" ? No. Well, it's not like I can stop sweeping ... True. It's just that your sweeping is tough to watch ...
But seriously, let’s see. This could be the story of an welcomed love affair—the man of the tale perhaps felt love was going out of fashion. I’m stumped on “the million deadly spores” that sound nasty but are “formed by lovers’ ancient art”, suggesting something far more pleasing.
The lady is evidently a hard worker and the man is hoping if she marries him, she can give up her house cleaning. Although we aren’t sharing her thoughts, there seems to be reason for the man to insist he will be true—as if the lady is a skeptic. He’s also reminding the lady she has a choice—“For you can hold them in your hand or let them fall into the sand.”
The man perhaps knows what the lady does not in that “they only dealt one card, so for me it is not hard. You’re the bright star in my chart. You go straight to my heart.”
A very sweet song ...
A Trudie song from “Nothing Like the Sun” released in 1987. I’m sure she loved it and as the bright spot in his chart—this time his horoscope was accurate—leaving his first wife for her was obviously a favorable development in his life. The floor sweeping must have been some private joke between the two of them or perhaps she worked as a housekeeper to supplement her acting and deejay gigs.
Curiously he waited ten years to marry her after inviting her to be his wife here but I believe he said he was afraid that if they did marry, it might end in divorce and given his circumstances, this would have been a valid fear.
[Sting]: "Someone today said: 'what have you done to your hair?'. Nothing. This is what it looks like. A sheep-dog. This song is called Straight To My Heart. Any music students here? You are all music students. This is in 7/4. It's fun if you count. Listen", Sting started to count. "Some people say it's dance proof. It's not. Watch", Sting started to dance to the music of the intro of the song.
Years after their marriage Sting and Trudie's love affair is still happily going strong and yet I can't help but notice that she does get chewed up quite a bit by the media and weird people who like to cast aspersions at her online. Must be part of her balance to offset her many delightful gifts. Just saw her on Katie Couric's show. Lovely, well-dressed, trim and fit, as well as a little powerhouse when it comes to positive earth projects. Thought I'd toss in something bright to offset some of her undeserved bad press.