"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.
I've lived my life
Inside daydreams, lies
Imaginary friends
They always knew,
Knew one day I'd leave,
Leave for good
I'll give away this girl
Who tried to make you fall in love
Uh-huh
I'll give her to,
To you
So keep her close,
Close to you
Said you won't forget about her
How she loved you so,
Long ago
Once upon a time
Now she has grown,
Grown up
And you can't take,
Take it back
A lie, a lie will change my life
And won't ever go back to that
I will stay to,
to this belief
That we changed for the best through this
Separate the ones who know you
From the whole couldn't ever see
You for all that you are
And deep down I always knew
And the times I've thought that I've loved you
It wasn't just an easy answer,
It was make believe
But I still believe
That this heart,
Heart will learn to love.
Inside daydreams, lies
Imaginary friends
They always knew,
Knew one day I'd leave,
Leave for good
I'll give away this girl
Who tried to make you fall in love
Uh-huh
I'll give her to,
To you
So keep her close,
Close to you
Said you won't forget about her
How she loved you so,
Long ago
Once upon a time
Now she has grown,
Grown up
And you can't take,
Take it back
A lie, a lie will change my life
And won't ever go back to that
I will stay to,
to this belief
That we changed for the best through this
Separate the ones who know you
From the whole couldn't ever see
You for all that you are
And deep down I always knew
And the times I've thought that I've loved you
It wasn't just an easy answer,
It was make believe
But I still believe
That this heart,
Heart will learn to love.
Lyrics submitted by soapboxracer
I Always Knew Lyrics as written by Jamie L Williams Derek Pressnall
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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this song is so beautiful. its one of my fav's by tilly
this is one of my favorite songs on 'wild like children' it's obviously about heart-break of some kind, but she is leaving it stronger then she was going into it. oh such a good one.
I can really relate to this song because it seems like its about a girl who is breaking up with someone after a long relationship but doesn't want to hurt the other person and hopes that that other person cherishes all they had but grows from it like she is
Beatiful song. I love how it has all the "imaginary friends", "once upon a time", "lullaby", "make beleive" child-like references and that the song seems to be about growing and changing after a realtionship, and how it's like growing up.
i like to think this is about neely (of this band) and conor oberst (of bright eyes fame)'s relationship. a lot of his songs are about her in one way or another. and the line "a lullaby won't change my mind/ and i won't ever go back to that."
-xo, t.
the beginning sounds like a father giving his daughter away in like a marriage...doesnt go with the rest of the song but
I'll give away this girl who tried to make you fall in love I'll give her to you So keep her close to you So you won't forget about how she loved you So long ago, once upon a time Now she has grown up And you can't take it back
just me. and im kinda odd.
Well, this person went through a breakup and realized that although it really hurt, it was never really love. They're hopeful for a love that will last.
This is most definately the prettiest Tilly song.
i'd agree with the rest of everyone...
the song sounds like it's talking about a girl who realised that her love for someone wasn't actually true. sounds like she was misled by her daydream good life, imaginary and maybe artificial?
anyways, she talks about 'giving away a girl' and i'm thinking it's herself. the girl she created and acted out to the woman or man she was in a relationship in, she's letting that person carry and keep that image and person she made.
makes me think of leaving highschool and going to university. separating fake friends from the real. it's cute. she finishes by saying, you know, i knew this was always the case and i'm gonna try to learn and love you for real now.
i like it. (:
i'd agree with the rest of everyone...
the song sounds like it's talking about a girl who realised that her love for someone wasn't actually true. sounds like she was misled by her daydream good life, imaginary and maybe artificial?
anyways, she talks about 'giving away a girl' and i'm thinking it's herself. the girl she created and acted out to the woman or man she was in a relationship in, she's letting that person carry and keep that image and person she made.
makes me think of leaving highschool and going to university. separating fake friends from the real. it's cute. she finishes by saying, you know, i knew this was always the case and i'm gonna try to learn and love you for real now.
i like it. (: