"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.
Is it wrong to want to live on your own?
No, it's not wrong, but I must know
How can someone so young
Sing words so sad?
Sheila take a, Sheila take a bow
Boot the grime of this world in the crotch, dear
And don't go home tonight
Come out and find the one that you love and who loves you
The one that you love and who loves you
Oh
Is it wrong not to always be glad
No, it's not wrong, but I must add
How can someone so young
Sing words so sad
Sheila take a, Sheila take a bow
Boot the grime of this world in the crotch, dear
And don't go home tonight
Come out and find the one that you love and who loves you
The one that you love and who loves you
Take my hand and off we stride
Oh, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
You're a girl and I'm a boy
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
la, la, la, la, la
Take my hand and off we stride
Oh, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
I'm a girl and you're a boy
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la
Sheila take a, Sheila take a bow
La, la, la, la, la, la
Throw your homework onto the fire
Come out and find the one that you love
Come out and find the one you love
No, it's not wrong, but I must know
How can someone so young
Sing words so sad?
Sheila take a, Sheila take a bow
Boot the grime of this world in the crotch, dear
And don't go home tonight
Come out and find the one that you love and who loves you
The one that you love and who loves you
Oh
Is it wrong not to always be glad
No, it's not wrong, but I must add
How can someone so young
Sing words so sad
Sheila take a, Sheila take a bow
Boot the grime of this world in the crotch, dear
And don't go home tonight
Come out and find the one that you love and who loves you
The one that you love and who loves you
Take my hand and off we stride
Oh, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
You're a girl and I'm a boy
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
la, la, la, la, la
Take my hand and off we stride
Oh, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
I'm a girl and you're a boy
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la
Sheila take a, Sheila take a bow
La, la, la, la, la, la
Throw your homework onto the fire
Come out and find the one that you love
Come out and find the one you love
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Sheila Take a Bow Lyrics as written by Johnny Marr Steven Morrissey
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I agree with the idea that Sheila is the female version of Morrissey, who is delicate and afraid. She first laments in typical Moz fashion "Is it wrong to want to live on your own? Is it wrong not to always be glad?" then, he eggs him(her)self on to "Come out and find the one that you love and who loves you!" Almost like, by seperating himself from him(her)self, he is able to say, go out and have some fun or you'll end up just like me! Let's stride off hand in hand and find someone to love, who will love us too! And of course, typical Moz having fun with sexual ambiguity, I'm a girl, you're a boy, I'm a boy, you're a girl, la la la la....