"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.
He came down through fields of green
On the summer side of life
His love was ripe
There was no illusions
On the summer side of life
Only tenderness
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why he would cry
The whole day long
There was young girls everywhere
On the summer side of life
They talked all night
To the young men that they knew
On the summer side of life
Goin' off to fight
And if you saw them now
You'd wonder why they would cry
The whole day long
He came down through fields of green
On the summer side of life
He prayed all night
Then he walked into a house
Where love had been misplaced
His chance to waste
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why he would cry
The whole day long
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why
On the summer side of life
His love was ripe
There was no illusions
On the summer side of life
Only tenderness
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why he would cry
The whole day long
There was young girls everywhere
On the summer side of life
They talked all night
To the young men that they knew
On the summer side of life
Goin' off to fight
And if you saw them now
You'd wonder why they would cry
The whole day long
He came down through fields of green
On the summer side of life
He prayed all night
Then he walked into a house
Where love had been misplaced
His chance to waste
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why he would cry
The whole day long
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why
Lyrics submitted by ButNeverOutgunned
Summer Side of Life Lyrics as written by Gordon Lightfoot
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think this is definitely a sad homage to a soldier's innocence vs.experience in the Vietnam war.
He came down through fields of green On the summer side of life His love was ripe
---the "field" is a battlefield --"green" is a word used to describe someone who lacks experience --"summer" represents youth -- the "love" that was "ripe" the patriotism and loyalty toward his country and his eagerness to contribute in an important way; the "love" could be toward the enemy whom the U.S. had hoped to win the hearts and minds of
There was no illusions --the soldier felt the war was noble and righteous perhaps
There was young girls everywhere On the summer side of life They talked all night
--"young girls" who are equally inexperienced who wait at home --"talk" about the sadness and pride of his endeavor and plans for the future
He came down through fields of green On the summer side of life He prayed all night
--once faced with the realities and brutality of war, the young man just "prays" to finish his tour of duty with his life
Then he walked into a house Where love had been misplaced His chance to waste
--the "house" could be a village hut occupied by Viet Cong--or even civilians--or the dwelling place of the enemy who hates "love...misplaced" the soldier --to "waste" is to kill, perhaps for his own survival, perhaps for revenge, perhaps because the mission (seek and destroy) calls for it (he cleaned "house")
And if you saw him now You'd wonder why he would cry The whole day long
--he cries "the whole day long" not literally but the experience has definitely changed him; perhaps he mourns for his innocence lost from taking human life, perhaps he participated in a massacre, perhaps he mourns for the 52,000 + soldiers who died in Vietnam, perhaps feels betrayed by some of our nations elders who created the "illusion" that the war was noble and necessary. The crying could be PTSD he suffers from since his return home because of the horrors experienced in war.
And if you saw him now You'd wonder why
--no one really understands him, they "wonder why" he cries
That is an excellent interpretation, I think its spot on. Thanks
@lovespoetry <br /> A beautiful interpretation. Couldn't have said it better.
@lovespoetry -Then he walked into a house<br /> Where love had been misplaced<br /> His chance to waste. love being misplaced?..is about love taken for granted..perhaps the young lady loved him, tho he didn't love back out of ignorance..his chance to waste?..came home to find that perhaps the young lady was in love with someone else..realized too late "love was wasted" in theory the young man goes off to fight this war a young man full of zeal..endures war..with hopes that the one who loved him the nigh the left, would be there waiting for his return..an experienced young man would react this way- the war grew him up quick, as a hero type returns home and finds out..the summer side of life..was just a childish elusion. thus everyone wonders why he cries.