"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.
Billy Liar's got his hands in his pockets
Staring over at the neighbor's, knickers down.
He's got his knickers down.
So the summer is eternity for you?
Sleeping in until your father's shaking you down
He's shaking you down.
And the mailroom shift gets a real short shrift
As you dole out the packages, no-one seems to want you around
All skulking around.
Let you legs loss on the lino
'Til your sinews spoil
Will you stay here for a while, dear,
'Til the radio plays something familiar?
Plays smoething familiar.
All a-drifting, he's a nogood boyo
Sent a-fishing for a whalebone corset frame
(His only catch all day)
So he sits and lets the current take him
A gentle breeze will leave his pants in disarray
And at his ankles laid.
As he drifts to sleep with a moan and a weep
He is decked by a Japanese geisha with a garland of pearls
How she twists and twirls!
Let you legs loss on the lino
'Til your sinews spoil
Will you stay here for a while, dear,
'Til the radio plays something familiar?
Plays smoething familiar.
Staring over at the neighbor's, knickers down.
He's got his knickers down.
So the summer is eternity for you?
Sleeping in until your father's shaking you down
He's shaking you down.
And the mailroom shift gets a real short shrift
As you dole out the packages, no-one seems to want you around
All skulking around.
Let you legs loss on the lino
'Til your sinews spoil
Will you stay here for a while, dear,
'Til the radio plays something familiar?
Plays smoething familiar.
All a-drifting, he's a nogood boyo
Sent a-fishing for a whalebone corset frame
(His only catch all day)
So he sits and lets the current take him
A gentle breeze will leave his pants in disarray
And at his ankles laid.
As he drifts to sleep with a moan and a weep
He is decked by a Japanese geisha with a garland of pearls
How she twists and twirls!
Let you legs loss on the lino
'Til your sinews spoil
Will you stay here for a while, dear,
'Til the radio plays something familiar?
Plays smoething familiar.
Lyrics submitted by sendthestars, edited by pyite32, Funky_Nickie
Billy Liar Lyrics as written by Colin Meloy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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