"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.
What do you think what do you make out of that recording?
I don't know, Gloria, I just,
Some kind of singing. They sound like all kinds of people, right?
Yeah.
And then it says "Another child is born in India every time you call this number," right?
Yeah, right.
Does that make any sense to you?
No, it doesn't make no sense to me.
And the guy that spoke I don't know who he is.
Yeah.
But that it doesn't sound like no answering machine, right?
No, it ain't an answering machine because they're not saying anything, they're just
But what does he get how does he make money on this? Whatever he's advertising in the paper, that's the part that don't make no sense.
Oh, he's advertising this in the paper you saw it.
In the Village Voice, yeah. They got that's where the Kiss Clinic, but they give you another number if you want to join it. And I got "Intellectuals meet with other intellectuals."
Yeah.
"Speak another language."
Yeah. Oh.
They meet at La Mai La Maisonette restaurant. They give you the price. Then they give you another number to call if you're interested. This guy, all you get is this here recording, but I don't see how he makes money.
Yeah, yeah.
You know what I'm saying? It's just they got the craziest things in that paper.
Yeah.
They come over with all they got the craziest things. But this one here "There Must Be Giants," it's called. And it says, "Call machine," and they got the phone number.
Yeah.
But what kind of money does he make? It don't make no sense. Well, he don't make any money, right?
No.
But, then then he's a nut, right? Do you see do you see any sense to that? "There May Be Giants?" That re that recording I have on. The new one. Did you hear it? I changed it. I took off the intellectuals. I put on There May Be Giants.
What?
Who's They May Be Giants?
What are you talking about?
That's what's on my the phone, There May Be argh, well I can't explain it. 'Cause I don't know what it is. Look in the paper, don't blame me if the guy's a nut.
I don't know, Gloria, I just,
Some kind of singing. They sound like all kinds of people, right?
Yeah.
And then it says "Another child is born in India every time you call this number," right?
Yeah, right.
Does that make any sense to you?
No, it doesn't make no sense to me.
And the guy that spoke I don't know who he is.
Yeah.
But that it doesn't sound like no answering machine, right?
No, it ain't an answering machine because they're not saying anything, they're just
But what does he get how does he make money on this? Whatever he's advertising in the paper, that's the part that don't make no sense.
Oh, he's advertising this in the paper you saw it.
In the Village Voice, yeah. They got that's where the Kiss Clinic, but they give you another number if you want to join it. And I got "Intellectuals meet with other intellectuals."
Yeah.
"Speak another language."
Yeah. Oh.
They meet at La Mai La Maisonette restaurant. They give you the price. Then they give you another number to call if you're interested. This guy, all you get is this here recording, but I don't see how he makes money.
Yeah, yeah.
You know what I'm saying? It's just they got the craziest things in that paper.
Yeah.
They come over with all they got the craziest things. But this one here "There Must Be Giants," it's called. And it says, "Call machine," and they got the phone number.
Yeah.
But what kind of money does he make? It don't make no sense. Well, he don't make any money, right?
No.
But, then then he's a nut, right? Do you see do you see any sense to that? "There May Be Giants?" That re that recording I have on. The new one. Did you hear it? I changed it. I took off the intellectuals. I put on There May Be Giants.
What?
Who's They May Be Giants?
What are you talking about?
That's what's on my the phone, There May Be argh, well I can't explain it. 'Cause I don't know what it is. Look in the paper, don't blame me if the guy's a nut.
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In addition to the above, in an Interview John Flansburgh stated he still has the recording in its entirety. The conversation actually continues after this, and went on until the tape got full (which was a 60 minute tape FWIH.) He also stated that during the entire conversation, Gloria never got the name right. Later in Gigantic (the TMBG film) he states that he was in a Barnes and Noble in Brooklyn and heard Gloria's voice. He ran around the place going "Gloria! Is that really you!? Where are you!?"