"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.
You're in for surprise
You're in for a shock (ah)
In London town streets
When there's darkness and fog (fog, fog, fog)
When you least expect me
And you turn your back
I'll attack (attack, attack, attack)
I smile when I'm sneaking
Through shadows by the wall
I laugh when I'm creeping
But you won't hear me at all
All hear my warning
Never turn your back
On the ripper
You'll soon shake with fear
Never knowing if I'm near
I'm sly and I'm shameless
Nocturnal and nameless
Except for "The Ripper"
Or if you like, "Jack The Knife"
Any back alley street
Is where we'll probably meet
Underneath a gas lamp
Where the air's cold and damp
I'm a nasty surprise
I'm a devil in disguise
I'm a footstep at night
I'm a scream of the fright
All hear my warning
Never turn your back
On the ripper
The ripper
The ripper
You're in for a shock (ah)
In London town streets
When there's darkness and fog (fog, fog, fog)
When you least expect me
And you turn your back
I'll attack (attack, attack, attack)
I smile when I'm sneaking
Through shadows by the wall
I laugh when I'm creeping
But you won't hear me at all
All hear my warning
Never turn your back
On the ripper
You'll soon shake with fear
Never knowing if I'm near
I'm sly and I'm shameless
Nocturnal and nameless
Except for "The Ripper"
Or if you like, "Jack The Knife"
Any back alley street
Is where we'll probably meet
Underneath a gas lamp
Where the air's cold and damp
I'm a nasty surprise
I'm a devil in disguise
I'm a footstep at night
I'm a scream of the fright
All hear my warning
Never turn your back
On the ripper
The ripper
The ripper
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Great song, obviously about Jack the Ripper.
I know Halford has an AMAZING range, but I kinda wonder if the scream at the beginning and end were completely natural. That almost sounds too high to believe.
Heh. vedi gud song. Very good.
Great song about Jack the Ripper. Priest ruled the heavy metal scene for such a long time. Great band...music still rocks today.
i had the same thought as Muzzy... this is just "too high to believe" :-O
I think the first scream in the song is a mix of Rob and a guitar
"I think the first scream in the song is a mix of Rob and a guitar"
I think so to
This short song does more than almost any other to display Rob's amazing range. Truly the Metal God! I remember in high school I used a sound effects record to create a mix of this with running footsteps, panting, a woman's scream and then the guitar kicks in.
Great song!
The scream has a guitar I think.
I love how it sound like he reading a newspaper.
^^yes, its a combination And this is such a great song,, I always sing along with it
which album is this song from? I hadn't heard it before I found it on youtube, and it's pretty good.