"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.
Life was leisure, learning French words
And staying in white rooms without any style
Mailing letters, and taking pictures
We put each other's in a drawer for awhile
But when will it all fall through
What else can I tell you
You just can't turn me on and off
You just can't turn me on and off
We're always drinking, and we're always playing
And someone's always trying too hard
So book the tickets, and please her parents
She is lovely and he is really smart
And when will it all fall through
What else can I tell you
You just can't turn me on and off
You turn me on and off
At first you believed it
And now you don't believe
At first you could see it
Why don't you (believe)?
The future's glowing out of focus
Our talk is cheap but the phone bill is not
And how can one word mean another
And why am I staying up alone in the dark
When will it all fall through
What else can I tell you
You just can't turn me on and off
You turn me on and off
When will it all fall through
(Cause I know it will)
What else can I tell you
You just can't turn me on and off, on and off
You turn me on and off
And staying in white rooms without any style
Mailing letters, and taking pictures
We put each other's in a drawer for awhile
But when will it all fall through
What else can I tell you
You just can't turn me on and off
You just can't turn me on and off
We're always drinking, and we're always playing
And someone's always trying too hard
So book the tickets, and please her parents
She is lovely and he is really smart
And when will it all fall through
What else can I tell you
You just can't turn me on and off
You turn me on and off
At first you believed it
And now you don't believe
At first you could see it
Why don't you (believe)?
The future's glowing out of focus
Our talk is cheap but the phone bill is not
And how can one word mean another
And why am I staying up alone in the dark
When will it all fall through
What else can I tell you
You just can't turn me on and off
You turn me on and off
When will it all fall through
(Cause I know it will)
What else can I tell you
You just can't turn me on and off, on and off
You turn me on and off
Lyrics submitted by thexfullxeffect
Life of Leisure Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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Fast Car
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i adore this song. the new cd is amazing.
you just can't turn me on and off.
this song is lovely.
to me it's about dealing somebody who is hot and cold. always flipping your switch depending on mood. things used to be so carefree and nice, then this person came along and knocked shit over and now all there is: stress and frustration.<p><b><i>Edited by delial on May 28 2008, at 07:01AM</i></b></p>
I think this song can easily be read as a version of the life of Marie Antionette
i think it might be an allusion to laodicea too