"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.
taylor was a good girl never want to be late, complain, express ideas in her brain
workin on the night shift passin out the tickets
youre gonna have to pay her if you wanna park here
well mommys little dancer has quite a little secret
workin on the streets now never gonna keep it
its quite an imposition and now shes only wishin that she wouldve listen to the words they said
poor taylor
she just wonders around unaffected by the winter winds yeah,
and she'll pretend that
shes somewhere else so far and clear about 2000 miles from here
peter patrick pitter patters on the window
the sunny sillouhette wont let him in
and poor old pete's gotta nuthin cause hes been falling
and somehow sunny knows
just where hes been
he thinks that singin on sundays gonna save his soul
now that saturdays gone
and sometimes he thinks that hes on his way
but i can see
that his brake lights are on
and he just wonders around unaffected by the winter winds yeah,
and he'll pretend that
hes somewhere else so far and clear about 2000 miles from here
she's such a tough enchilada,
fill up anoda
give in which you gotta give
to get a dollar bill
she used to be a limber chick
in times of benedict
and now she's finger lick-in
to the man
with the money in his pocket
flyin in his rocket
only stoppin' by on his way to a better world
and taylor finds a better world
and taylor's gonna run away
workin on the night shift passin out the tickets
youre gonna have to pay her if you wanna park here
well mommys little dancer has quite a little secret
workin on the streets now never gonna keep it
its quite an imposition and now shes only wishin that she wouldve listen to the words they said
poor taylor
she just wonders around unaffected by the winter winds yeah,
and she'll pretend that
shes somewhere else so far and clear about 2000 miles from here
peter patrick pitter patters on the window
the sunny sillouhette wont let him in
and poor old pete's gotta nuthin cause hes been falling
and somehow sunny knows
just where hes been
he thinks that singin on sundays gonna save his soul
now that saturdays gone
and sometimes he thinks that hes on his way
but i can see
that his brake lights are on
and he just wonders around unaffected by the winter winds yeah,
and he'll pretend that
hes somewhere else so far and clear about 2000 miles from here
she's such a tough enchilada,
fill up anoda
give in which you gotta give
to get a dollar bill
she used to be a limber chick
in times of benedict
and now she's finger lick-in
to the man
with the money in his pocket
flyin in his rocket
only stoppin' by on his way to a better world
and taylor finds a better world
and taylor's gonna run away
Lyrics submitted by blueangelrugby
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
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what a great song
ooh the acoustic gets me every time... he has such a way with words
that girl has a nice name...happen to like it since its mine...but other then that its a great song
i looove the guitar in this song, it just makes ya wanna, i dunno, smile.
love this song
this song is redone on his new album "on and on" and its an amazing version....he kind of gave a dmb=lillywhite session -> busted stuff-like new twist to it
i love the new version of this song on the new album, its so amazing, not that the original isnt good...jack johson is absolutely incredible, the philly concert with ben harper is gonna be unbelievable!
also, i believe the lyrics are 'such a tough enchilada, filled up with nada, givin what ya gotta, give to get a dollar bill", i could be wrong but either way i love that part
FuzzMonkey10 is right on the "enchilada" lyrics. This song has such a catchy beat to it, even though (I think) it's about infidelity. Taylor reminds me of Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman, because she knows she can be better than, ahem, what she is. If anyone gets a chance to check out the JJ/Ben Harper concert this summer, it is absolutely amazing -- JJ is the best live act I've ever seen!
To me this song tells the story of a girl called taylor who turned from being a "good girl" with a good future, into a street worker who has lost her way in life. She once was respected by society, but is now useful only to "the man with the money in his pocket". Taylor realizes this and procedes to take her own life at the end of the song ("and taylor finds a better world, and taylor's gonna run away")