"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.
Roger:
What'd you forget?
(Mimi enters, holding a candle and looking for a match; her electricity is out, too)
Mimi:
Got a light?
Roger:
I know you? -- You're --
You're shivering
Mimi:
It's nothing
They turned off my heat
And I'm just a little
Weak on my feet
Would you light my candle?
What are you staring at?
Roger:
Nothing
Your hair in the moonlight
You look familiar
(He lights her candle. Mimi starts to leave, but stumbles)
Can you make it?
Mimi:
Just haven't eaten much today
At least the room stopped spinning.
Anyway. What?
Roger:
Nothing
Your smile reminded me of --
Mimi:
I always remind people of -- who is she?
Roger:
She died. Her name was April
(Mimi discreetly blows out the candle)
Mimi:
It's out again
Sorry about your friend
Would you light my candle?
(Roger lights the candle. They linger, awkwardly)
Roger:
Well --
Mimi:
Yeah. Ow!
Roger:
Oh, the wax -- it's --
Mimi:
Dripping! I like it -- between my --
Roger:
Fingers. I figured...
Oh, well. Goodnight.
(Rogers gestures towards the door. Mimi exits. Roger heads back toward his guitar on the table. There is another knock, which he answers)
It blew out again?
Mimi:
No -- I think that I dropped my stash
Roger:
I know I've seen you out and about
When I used to go out
Your candle's out
Mimi:
I'm illin' --
I had it when I walked in the door
It was pure --
Is it on the floor?
Roger:
The floor?
(Mimi gets down on all fours and starts searching the floor for her stash. She looks back at Roger, who is staring at her again)
Mimi:
They say I have the best ass below 14th street
Is it true?
Roger:
What?
Mimi:
You're staring again.
Roger:
Oh no.
I mean you do -- have a nice --
I mean -- You look familiar
Mimi:
Like your dead girlfriend?
Roger:
Only when you smile.
But I'm sure I've seen you somewhere else --
Mimi:
Do you go to the Cat Scratch Club?
That's where I work - I dance - help me look
Roger:
Yes!
They used to tie you up --
Mimi:
It's a living
(Mimi douses the flame again)
Roger:
I didn't recognize you
Without the handcuffs
Mimi:
We could light the candle
Oh won't you light the candle?
(Roger lights it again)
Roger:
Why don't you forget that stuff
You look like you're sixteen
Mimi:
I'm nineteen -- but I'm old for my age
I'm just born to be bad
Roger:
I once was born to be bad
I used to shiver like that
Mimi:
I have no heat -- I told you
Roger:
I used to sweat
Mimi:
I got a cold
Roger:
Uh huh
I used to be a junkie
Mimi:
But now and then I like to --
Roger:
Uh huh
Mimi:
Feel good
Roger:
Here it is -- um --
(Roger stoops and picks up a small object: Mimi's stash)
Mimi:
What's that?
Roger:
It's a candy bar wrapper
(Roger puts it behind his back and into his pocket)
Mimi:
We could light the candle
(Roger gently blows out the candle)
Mimi:
What'd you do with my candle?
Roger:
That was my last match
Mimi:
Our eyes'll adjust, thank God for the moon
Roger:
Maybe it's not the moon at all
I hear Spike Lee's shooting down the street
Mimi:
Bah humbug ... Bah humbug
(Mimi places her hand under his, pretending to do it by accident)
Roger:
Cold hands
Mimi:
Yours too.
Big. Like my father's
You wanna dance?
Roger:
With you?
Mimi:
No -- with my father
Roger:
I'm Roger
Mimi:
They call me
They call me Mimi
What'd you forget?
(Mimi enters, holding a candle and looking for a match; her electricity is out, too)
Mimi:
Got a light?
Roger:
I know you? -- You're --
You're shivering
Mimi:
It's nothing
They turned off my heat
And I'm just a little
Weak on my feet
Would you light my candle?
What are you staring at?
Roger:
Nothing
Your hair in the moonlight
You look familiar
(He lights her candle. Mimi starts to leave, but stumbles)
Can you make it?
Mimi:
Just haven't eaten much today
At least the room stopped spinning.
Anyway. What?
Roger:
Nothing
Your smile reminded me of --
Mimi:
I always remind people of -- who is she?
Roger:
She died. Her name was April
(Mimi discreetly blows out the candle)
Mimi:
It's out again
Sorry about your friend
Would you light my candle?
(Roger lights the candle. They linger, awkwardly)
Roger:
Well --
Mimi:
Yeah. Ow!
Roger:
Oh, the wax -- it's --
Mimi:
Dripping! I like it -- between my --
Roger:
Fingers. I figured...
Oh, well. Goodnight.
(Rogers gestures towards the door. Mimi exits. Roger heads back toward his guitar on the table. There is another knock, which he answers)
It blew out again?
Mimi:
No -- I think that I dropped my stash
Roger:
I know I've seen you out and about
When I used to go out
Your candle's out
Mimi:
I'm illin' --
I had it when I walked in the door
It was pure --
Is it on the floor?
Roger:
The floor?
(Mimi gets down on all fours and starts searching the floor for her stash. She looks back at Roger, who is staring at her again)
Mimi:
They say I have the best ass below 14th street
Is it true?
Roger:
What?
Mimi:
You're staring again.
Roger:
Oh no.
I mean you do -- have a nice --
I mean -- You look familiar
Mimi:
Like your dead girlfriend?
Roger:
Only when you smile.
But I'm sure I've seen you somewhere else --
Mimi:
Do you go to the Cat Scratch Club?
That's where I work - I dance - help me look
Roger:
Yes!
They used to tie you up --
Mimi:
It's a living
(Mimi douses the flame again)
Roger:
I didn't recognize you
Without the handcuffs
Mimi:
We could light the candle
Oh won't you light the candle?
(Roger lights it again)
Roger:
Why don't you forget that stuff
You look like you're sixteen
Mimi:
I'm nineteen -- but I'm old for my age
I'm just born to be bad
Roger:
I once was born to be bad
I used to shiver like that
Mimi:
I have no heat -- I told you
Roger:
I used to sweat
Mimi:
I got a cold
Roger:
Uh huh
I used to be a junkie
Mimi:
But now and then I like to --
Roger:
Uh huh
Mimi:
Feel good
Roger:
Here it is -- um --
(Roger stoops and picks up a small object: Mimi's stash)
Mimi:
What's that?
Roger:
It's a candy bar wrapper
(Roger puts it behind his back and into his pocket)
Mimi:
We could light the candle
(Roger gently blows out the candle)
Mimi:
What'd you do with my candle?
Roger:
That was my last match
Mimi:
Our eyes'll adjust, thank God for the moon
Roger:
Maybe it's not the moon at all
I hear Spike Lee's shooting down the street
Mimi:
Bah humbug ... Bah humbug
(Mimi places her hand under his, pretending to do it by accident)
Roger:
Cold hands
Mimi:
Yours too.
Big. Like my father's
You wanna dance?
Roger:
With you?
Mimi:
No -- with my father
Roger:
I'm Roger
Mimi:
They call me
They call me Mimi
Lyrics submitted by Eggos=yum
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