"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.
The California animal is a bear
Angeleno, but the devil may care
Summer time to talk and swear
Later maybe we could share some air
I'll take you to the movies there
We could walk through Leicester square
What could be wetter than
An English girl, American man
London in the summertime
Call me now, use the satellite
London in the summertime
Cuss me out and it'll feel alright
Hesitate but don't refuse
The choice was yours but you said choose
The look she used was green and sharp
Stabbed that boy all in his heart
Come what may the cosmos will
Take me up and down on Primrose hill
What could be wetter than
An English girl, American man
London in the summertime
Call me now, use the satellite
London in the summertime
Cuss me out and it'll feel alright, yeah
Cuss me out and it'll feel alright
It's alright now
Call me now, use the satellite
It's alright, it's alright
Down and out and it'll sound alright
It's alright now
Down and out and it'll sound alright
It's alright
The California flower is a poppy, child
Felony sends me all the gold in your smile
Drift away from anyone you can
Nothing ever goes according to plan
Though I know that every river bends
Time to say hello to snow on the Thames
What could be wetter than
An English girl, American man
London in the summertime
Call me now, use the satellite
London in the summertime
Cuss me out and it'll feel alright
Hey hey, hey hey hey
Oh oh
Angeleno, but the devil may care
Summer time to talk and swear
Later maybe we could share some air
I'll take you to the movies there
We could walk through Leicester square
What could be wetter than
An English girl, American man
London in the summertime
Call me now, use the satellite
London in the summertime
Cuss me out and it'll feel alright
Hesitate but don't refuse
The choice was yours but you said choose
The look she used was green and sharp
Stabbed that boy all in his heart
Come what may the cosmos will
Take me up and down on Primrose hill
What could be wetter than
An English girl, American man
London in the summertime
Call me now, use the satellite
London in the summertime
Cuss me out and it'll feel alright, yeah
Cuss me out and it'll feel alright
It's alright now
Call me now, use the satellite
It's alright, it's alright
Down and out and it'll sound alright
It's alright now
Down and out and it'll sound alright
It's alright
The California flower is a poppy, child
Felony sends me all the gold in your smile
Drift away from anyone you can
Nothing ever goes according to plan
Though I know that every river bends
Time to say hello to snow on the Thames
What could be wetter than
An English girl, American man
London in the summertime
Call me now, use the satellite
London in the summertime
Cuss me out and it'll feel alright
Hey hey, hey hey hey
Oh oh
Lyrics submitted by The Marine
Emit Remmus Lyrics as written by John Anthony Frusciante Michael Peter Balzary
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Anthony wrote that the song was written about his friendship with Mel C (Spice Girl). He didnt state that he had dated her.
Not one of my favourite pepper songs