"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.
(Hey, it ain't over)
Me, I hope that I'm crazy
I feel you driving and you're only the wheel
Slow down, let someone love you
Oh, I've never touched you since I started to feel
If there's nothing to hide me
Then you've never seen me hanging naked and wired
Somebody lied, I say it's hip
To be alive
Now your smile is spreading thin
Seems you're trying not to lose
Since I'm not supposed to win
All you've got to do is win
That's all you gotta do (ooh, it ain't over)
Me, I'm fresh on your pages
Secret thinker sometimes listening aloud
Life lies dumb on its heroes
Wear your wound with honor, make someone proud
Someone like you should not be allowed
To start any fires
Now your smile is spreading thin
Seems you're trying not to lose
Since I'm not supposed to win
All you've got to do is win
That's all you gotta do (ooh, it ain't over)
Now your smile is spreading thin
Seems you're trying not to lose
Since I'm not supposed to win
All you've got to do is win
That's all you gotta do (all you got to do is win)
Now your smile is spreading thin (seek and believe in you)
Seems you're trying not to lose (it ain't over, no no)
Since I'm not supposed to grin (that's all you got to do)
All you've got to do is win (it ain't over, no, oh)
(Seek and believe in you)
All you've got to do is win (it ain't over, no, no)
Woo hooh, all you've got
Is all you've got
(It ain't over)
It ain't over
Me, I hope that I'm crazy
I feel you driving and you're only the wheel
Slow down, let someone love you
Oh, I've never touched you since I started to feel
If there's nothing to hide me
Then you've never seen me hanging naked and wired
Somebody lied, I say it's hip
To be alive
Now your smile is spreading thin
Seems you're trying not to lose
Since I'm not supposed to win
All you've got to do is win
That's all you gotta do (ooh, it ain't over)
Me, I'm fresh on your pages
Secret thinker sometimes listening aloud
Life lies dumb on its heroes
Wear your wound with honor, make someone proud
Someone like you should not be allowed
To start any fires
Now your smile is spreading thin
Seems you're trying not to lose
Since I'm not supposed to win
All you've got to do is win
That's all you gotta do (ooh, it ain't over)
Now your smile is spreading thin
Seems you're trying not to lose
Since I'm not supposed to win
All you've got to do is win
That's all you gotta do (all you got to do is win)
Now your smile is spreading thin (seek and believe in you)
Seems you're trying not to lose (it ain't over, no no)
Since I'm not supposed to grin (that's all you got to do)
All you've got to do is win (it ain't over, no, oh)
(Seek and believe in you)
All you've got to do is win (it ain't over, no, no)
Woo hooh, all you've got
Is all you've got
(It ain't over)
It ain't over
Lyrics submitted by saturnine, edited by j0nnynoname
Win Lyrics as written by David Bowie
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is Bowie at his sultirest. I adore his Plastic Soul phase. I'm so bummed they didn't release a 30th Anniversary Edition of Young Americans as they did Ziggy, Alladin, and Diamond Dogs.
I heard they're gonna release a 40th year anniversary edition though :D
Swoops over you like a warm summers day
I will try to give a good analysis. This is how the song speaks to me. BTW, some of the lyrics above are wrong, so I have fixed them below.
"Me, I hope that I'm crazy I feel you driving and you're only the wheel"
The person Bowie loves is in control of the relationship. Bowie feels this, and hopes that he is wrong. But he knows he is not.
"Slow down, let someone love you Ohh, I've never touched you since I started to feel"
Bowie would like the person that he loves to let themselves love Bowie and accept Bowie's love. Also, they are starting to push Bowie away.
"If there's nothing to hide me Then you've never seen me hanging naked and wired"
I don't really get this part. I think it's probably him saying that he is completely open to them but they aren't to him.
"Somebody lied, I say it's hip To be alive"
Perhaps they are also a pessimist.
"Now your smile is spreading thin Seems you're trying not to lose Since I'm not supposed to grin All you've got to do is win"
In this "game of love", the person Bowie loves is always focused on not being the one to be heartbroken. Which means they aren't allowing themselves to feel and they're hurting Bowie in the process.
"Me, I'm fresh on your pages Secret thinker sometimes listening aloud"
Bowie is next in line on the list of their lovers.
"Life lies dumb on its heroes Wear your wound with honor, make someone proud"
They should get hurt and accept the love and pain. They can only feel love when they allow themselves to completely give themselves up. Surrender.
"Someone like you should not be allowed To start any fires"
This is my favorite line. A heartbreaker like them should not be allowed to let people love them.
"Now your smile is spreading thin Seems you're trying not to lose Since I'm not supposed to grin All you've got to do is win"
They did actually release a 30th anniversary edition of YA like just recently. I got it! :-D Win is totally about winning of course and it deals with being number 1.
I guess I'll take a stab at this one...
I think it's about sexual negotiation.
"Since you're trying not to lose Since I'm not supposed to grin"
It's like Bowie knows she's attracted to him, but he can't show it, so he has to slow down, and play the "game" a bit more first.
"slow down, let someone love you"
This is quite possibly the sexiest I have ever heard Bowie's voice.... ((((shivers)))) ....slow down....let someone love you......
I think the "slow down, let someone love you" line actually refers to somebody who feels they have to constantly be a winner (who this song is about, in my opinion) to gain approval. He's telling them to slow down and enjoy life.