"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 was born from love
And my poor mother worked the mines
I was raised on the Good Book Jesus
Till I read between the lines
Now I don't believe
I want to see the morning
Going down the Stoney End
I never wanted to go
Down the Stoney End
Mama let me start all over
Cradle me, Mama, cradle me again
I can still remember him
With love light in his eyes
But the light flickered out and parted
As the sun began to rise
Now I don't believe
I want to see the morning
Going down the Stoney End
I never wanted to go
Down the Stoney End
Mama let me start all over
Cradle me, mama, cradle me again
(Cradle me, mama, cradle me again
Mama, cradle me again...)
Never mind the forecast
'Cause the sky has lost control
'Cause the furry and the broken thunders
Come to match my raging soul
Now I don't believe
I want to see the morning
Going down the Stoney End
I never wanted to go
Down the Stoney End
Mama let me start all over
Cradle me, mama, cradle me again
Going down the Stoney End...
And my poor mother worked the mines
I was raised on the Good Book Jesus
Till I read between the lines
Now I don't believe
I want to see the morning
Going down the Stoney End
I never wanted to go
Down the Stoney End
Mama let me start all over
Cradle me, Mama, cradle me again
I can still remember him
With love light in his eyes
But the light flickered out and parted
As the sun began to rise
Now I don't believe
I want to see the morning
Going down the Stoney End
I never wanted to go
Down the Stoney End
Mama let me start all over
Cradle me, mama, cradle me again
(Cradle me, mama, cradle me again
Mama, cradle me again...)
Never mind the forecast
'Cause the sky has lost control
'Cause the furry and the broken thunders
Come to match my raging soul
Now I don't believe
I want to see the morning
Going down the Stoney End
I never wanted to go
Down the Stoney End
Mama let me start all over
Cradle me, mama, cradle me again
Going down the Stoney End...
Lyrics submitted by kienholzfan, edited by HawaiiJack, kass8286, Gr33nman
Stoney End Lyrics as written by Laura Nyro
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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Hmm, the first line's missing from this one too which should be: "I was born from love."
I heard that some lines were cut out of this song for being "too controversial." I wish I could hear the original version, but it's still a fantastic song and definitely gets its point across all the same.
Laura Nyro wrote this song. about her struggle with Lesbianism. She married but her marriage disolved.. her conflicting feelings and passions raged inside her soul.. She was very cose to her mother,.. when faced with this dilemma she wanted to feel secure in her mothers arms again and start all over again.. She was a good person she was born from love, and raised on the good book Jesus..She did not want to go down the stoney end. In Biblical times women were stoned when they did not conform. <br />
This is the original, "controversial' version. The watered down version changed around the the bit about the Good Book and reading between the lines of it. Fortunately that version didn't catch on.
The censored version is available on you tube. It has one change to replace the verse about the good book with winsome johnny. I like the original better, but the new verse is interesting.<br /> <br /> This song was written in the late sixties. Ms. Nyro was early twenties and not married yet. The nasty comments of other posters should be ignored.<br /> <br /> Respect each other.