"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.
Here by the sea and sand
Nothing ever goes as planned
I just couldn't face going home
It was just a drag on my own
They finally threw me out
My mom got drunk on stout
My dad couldn't stand on two feet
As he lectured about morality
Now I guess the family's complete
With me hanging 'round on the street
Or here on the beach
The girl I love
Is a perfect dresser
Wears every fashion
Gets it to the tee
Heavens above
I've got to match her
She knows just how
She wants her man to be
Leave it to me
My jacket's gonna be cut slim and checked
Maybe a touch of seersucker with an open neck
I ride a G.S. scooter with my hair cut neat
I wear my wartime coat in the wind and sleet
I see her dance
Across the ballroom
UV lights making stars shine
Of her smile
I am the face
She has to know me
I'm dressed up better than anyone
Within a mile
Oh, yeah
So how come the other tickets look much better?
Without a penny to spend they dress to the letter
How come the girls come on oh so cool
Yet when you meet 'em, every one's a fool?
Come sleep on the beach
Keep within my reach
I just want to die with you near
I'm feeling so high with you here
I'm wet and I'm cold
But thank God I ain't old
Why didn't I say what I mean?
I should have split home at fifteen
There's a story that the grass is so green
What did I see?
Where have I been?
Nothing is planned, by the sea and the sand
I'm the face if you want it, baby
I'm the face if you want it
I'm the face if you want it , baby
I'm the face if you want it
I'm the face if you want it
I'm the face if you want it, baby
If you want it, if you want it, if you want it, if you want it
If you want it, if you want it, it you want it, if you want it, ah the face
Nothing ever goes as planned
I just couldn't face going home
It was just a drag on my own
They finally threw me out
My mom got drunk on stout
My dad couldn't stand on two feet
As he lectured about morality
Now I guess the family's complete
With me hanging 'round on the street
Or here on the beach
The girl I love
Is a perfect dresser
Wears every fashion
Gets it to the tee
Heavens above
I've got to match her
She knows just how
She wants her man to be
Leave it to me
My jacket's gonna be cut slim and checked
Maybe a touch of seersucker with an open neck
I ride a G.S. scooter with my hair cut neat
I wear my wartime coat in the wind and sleet
I see her dance
Across the ballroom
UV lights making stars shine
Of her smile
I am the face
She has to know me
I'm dressed up better than anyone
Within a mile
Oh, yeah
So how come the other tickets look much better?
Without a penny to spend they dress to the letter
How come the girls come on oh so cool
Yet when you meet 'em, every one's a fool?
Come sleep on the beach
Keep within my reach
I just want to die with you near
I'm feeling so high with you here
I'm wet and I'm cold
But thank God I ain't old
Why didn't I say what I mean?
I should have split home at fifteen
There's a story that the grass is so green
What did I see?
Where have I been?
Nothing is planned, by the sea and the sand
I'm the face if you want it, baby
I'm the face if you want it
I'm the face if you want it , baby
I'm the face if you want it
I'm the face if you want it
I'm the face if you want it, baby
If you want it, if you want it, if you want it, if you want it
If you want it, if you want it, it you want it, if you want it, ah the face
Lyrics submitted by Chris_Gough, edited by ohyo
Sea and Sand Lyrics as written by Peter Dennis Blandfor Townshend
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Abkco Music Inc., Exploration Group LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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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Jimmy is feeling betrayed by his parents in the first verse and by girls in the next four (he has previously seen his ex-girlfriend with another guy). He is holding on to the two things that he still believes in- his status as a mod and, for reasons he doesn't yet understand, the ocean. For an explanation, see my comments on Drowned and Love Reign O'er Me.
"don't know why there are so many sea references in this album though."
for starters the story is set around the Brighton Beach mod vs rocker period. and living on an island, the sea is never very far away. then you can start layering in all of the metaphors- impermanence, permanence, all-enveloping-mother, cold flea-bitten and indifferent... the sea absorbs it all, and washes it all away.
makes for a great classic Who juxtaposition of the manic and the sublime.
The vocals between Daltry and Townsend are great. "Im the face if you want it" is from the song of the same name one of the first songs ever released by The Who, then called The High Numbers. Quadrophenia will always be one of the greatest rock albums ever made.
@dcba "don't know why there are so many sea references in this album though."<br /> <br /> I get the feeling that these days few realize that the original story of Jimmy had a different ending than shown in the movie. If I'm not mistaken, as originally written instead of a scooter he stole a boat, took it out to sea and drowned at the end. Listen to the 1973 Philadelphia "Quadrophenia Premiere" concert on Youtube and Townsend narrates the story in between songs.
song covered by phish during their new year's eve MSG concert....don't know how it compares to the original but i loved it.
probably my favorite song off quadrophenia.
i think it's about him being kicked out of the home (they finally kicked me out) (now i guess the family's complete wiht me hanging out on the street, or here on hte beach)
the beach is some sort of a metaphor, maybe a place where he feels free (nothing is planned by the sea and the sand) also mentioned in bell boy, as well as lots of other songs. of course, the opening track is called "i am the sea"
i love the line "come sleep on the beach, stay within my reach, i just want to die with you here, i'm feeling so high with you here"
This song shows the sides of Jimmy, two in particular, Tough-guy-Jimmy (the more Rocky parts of the song) and Hopeless-romantic-Jimmy (the "The girl i loooove... and I se her daaance... parts)
I love this song and its a bit 'Me'
one of my favorite vocal performances by daltrey, especially
"dressed up better than anyone within a mile"
Was Jimmy a Pisces? this fascination to wanting to be one with the ocean. Being hypnotized by it................I can relate to that.
i'm pretty sure he makes out with the girl by the ocean in this song. don't know why there are so many sea references in this album though.