"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.
That means no
Where I come from
I am cold, out waiting for the day to come
I chew my lips oh, and I scratch my nose
Feels so good to be a rose
Oh don't, don't you lift me up
Like I'm that shy, no no no no no
Just give it up
There are bats all dissolving in a row
Into the wishy-washy dark that cannot let go
And I cannot let go
So I thank the lord
And I thank his sword
Though it be mincing up the morning, slightly bored
O, morning without warning like a hole
And I watch you go
There are some mornings when the sky looks like a road
There are some dragons who were built to have and hold
And some machines are dropped from great heights lovingly
And some great bellies ache with many bumblebees
And they sting so terribly
I do as I please
Now I'm on my knees
Your skin is something that I stir into my tea
And I am watching you
And you are starry, starry, starry
And I'm tumbling down, and I check a frown
It's why I love this town
Well, just look around
To see me serenaded hourly, celebrated sourly
Dedicated dourly, waltzing with the open sea
Clam, crab, cockle, cowrie
Will you just look at me?
Where I come from
I am cold, out waiting for the day to come
I chew my lips oh, and I scratch my nose
Feels so good to be a rose
Oh don't, don't you lift me up
Like I'm that shy, no no no no no
Just give it up
There are bats all dissolving in a row
Into the wishy-washy dark that cannot let go
And I cannot let go
So I thank the lord
And I thank his sword
Though it be mincing up the morning, slightly bored
O, morning without warning like a hole
And I watch you go
There are some mornings when the sky looks like a road
There are some dragons who were built to have and hold
And some machines are dropped from great heights lovingly
And some great bellies ache with many bumblebees
And they sting so terribly
I do as I please
Now I'm on my knees
Your skin is something that I stir into my tea
And I am watching you
And you are starry, starry, starry
And I'm tumbling down, and I check a frown
It's why I love this town
Well, just look around
To see me serenaded hourly, celebrated sourly
Dedicated dourly, waltzing with the open sea
Clam, crab, cockle, cowrie
Will you just look at me?
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I absolutely hate this song. And I absolutely love the rest of the album. Except for "Three Little Babes", which is good, but frankly not half as exciting as Miss Newsom's original songs. So, I generally pretend that the album ends with Swansea. It makes a good ending song.
But...I haven't actually bought this album yet. I am hoping I have a different version of this song from the one included on The Milk-Eyed Mender. In fact I am pretty sure the version I have is from the Walnut Whales EP. It's absolutely agonizing, the way she sings in this version. There is this horrible cliche thing she does with her voice like ten times in the song, it makes her sound like a melodramatic teenager.
So...I'll be buying the album soon! And, assuming the album version is better, I will feel so much better!