"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.
Blessed is he who has got
His transgressions forgiven
And his sins hidden
Blessed is the man whom the Lord
Do not ascribe misdeeds
And is without deceit in his spirit
Buried it deep inside
But soon a sprout came forth
It kept on growing
I couldn't hide
When I kept it to myself
Slowly my bones corroded
And my vitality vanished
Like in the summer dry
Too many people living this life
Who can take their guilt away?
Their minds are rotting
And causing an endless pain
Soon they are demented and put away
I confessed my sins to You
And did not hide my guilt
I said "I want to confess my misdeeds to You"
And He took away my sin and guilt
He is my sanctuary
His transgressions forgiven
And his sins hidden
Blessed is the man whom the Lord
Do not ascribe misdeeds
And is without deceit in his spirit
Buried it deep inside
But soon a sprout came forth
It kept on growing
I couldn't hide
When I kept it to myself
Slowly my bones corroded
And my vitality vanished
Like in the summer dry
Too many people living this life
Who can take their guilt away?
Their minds are rotting
And causing an endless pain
Soon they are demented and put away
I confessed my sins to You
And did not hide my guilt
I said "I want to confess my misdeeds to You"
And He took away my sin and guilt
He is my sanctuary
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Fast Car
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Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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These guys are friggin' sweet man. They can take something so spiritually significant as a verse from the Bible and turn them into sickeningly heavy death metal. Totally awesome.