"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.
A race of angels bound with one another
A dish of dollars laid out for all to see
A tower room at Eden Rock
His golf at noon for free
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
His lady's aching to bring a body down
She daily preaches on where she wants to be
An evening with a movie queen
A face we all have seen
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
A case of aces done up loose for dealing
A piece of island cooling in the sea
The whole of time we gain or lose
And power enough to choose
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Yeah, Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
A dish of dollars laid out for all to see
A tower room at Eden Rock
His golf at noon for free
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
His lady's aching to bring a body down
She daily preaches on where she wants to be
An evening with a movie queen
A face we all have seen
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
A case of aces done up loose for dealing
A piece of island cooling in the sea
The whole of time we gain or lose
And power enough to choose
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Yeah, Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Brooklyn owes the charmer under me
Lyrics submitted by AbFab, edited by CliffLandin, mgajosh
Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) Lyrics as written by Walter Carl Becker Donald Jay Fagen
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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Hauntingly great pedal steel, have loved this tune for decades. As far as I'm concerned this tune has the world of the strip club written all over it. Race of angels -- stripper sorority, Bound with one another -- Their shared profession, dish of dollars laid out for all to see -- ever seen their leg band and/or the stage floor? As far as the male figure in this lyric (tower room at Eden Rock, golf at noon) I'd be willing to bet that Fagan and friends were watching some one fairly prominent's (Steely D was at the top of their game at this time and living large) wife/girl friend riding the pole while he was on the back nine. I'd also go as far as to say that she's possibly someone that's been on the screen (TV/movies) "a face we all have seen". The refrain "Brooklyn owes the charmer under me" is brilliant play on phrase --- Brooklyn (knows) (owes) -- in other words this woman was possibly known from that area and was also corrupted by the street there (hence the borough "owes" her) and "charmer under me" (I would say he was doing her after she seduced him). Daily preaching where she wants to be -- Don't most strippers long for something better? Case of aces -- her pocketbook full of singles. Whole time we gain or lose and power to choose -- I believe was his philosophical conundrum with his/her plight (theme of the album-- Can't buy a thrill) Or maybe I'm just too drunk and full of shit. Thanks for reading.
This is one of my favorite SD songs and I think your interpretation is fantastic!
@UncleNeal I think this is the best interpretation yet because I enjoyed reading it so much. <br /> <br /> If this song is really just about the longings of their downstairs neighbors in Brooklyn...would people griping about their lot in life really be sophisticated enough to want to stay in a tower room in an exotic locale and hobnob with celebrities? I don't think so...<br /> <br /> Let's back off from the stripper analogy for a minute to something similar but different..."a race of angels bound with one another" -- I think this describes the groupies that surround a successful rock band. See the movie "Almost Famous" set in the early 70s (with a very cute Kate Hudson). "The charmer under me" could picture one of the groupies he is sleeping with. Brooklyn "owes" her in the sense she fled her humble beginnings in search of bigger and better things. She is pressuring him to take her on an exotic Caribbean vacation at Eden Rock in St. Barth's -- this elegant resort was built in the 1950s, unlike Miami it can be described as "a piece of island cooling in the sea" and of course golf would be included. "An evening with a movie queen"... the girl is not the movie queen, she wants to do some social climbing. I think the dish of dollars and the case of aces are references to casino gambling which of course you would find in a resort in the French Caribbean. <br /> <br /> Being a rockstar (or a groupie attached to a rockstar) is a "gain or lose" proposition, but all that remuneration gives you "power enough to choose".<br /> <br /> <br />
@UncleNeal - A brilliant analysis! Your insight into this one proves you are one sharp cookie - drunk or sober....