"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.
All that love all those mistakes
What else can a poor man make?
But I gave up a life of crime
I gave it to a friend of mine
Something else was on my mind
The only ghost I'm haunted by
I hear her howling down below
Idaho, Idaho
Wolves oh wolves oh can't you see?
Ain't no wolf can sing like me
And if it could then I suppose
That he belongs in Idaho
Packs of dogs and cigarettes
For those who ain't done packing yet
My clothes are packed and I want to go
Idaho, Idaho
Well, out at sea for seven years
I got your letter in Tangier
I thought that I'd been on a boat
'Til that single word you wrote
That single word it landlocked me
Turned the masts to cedar trees
And the wind to gravel roads
Idaho, Idaho
What else can a poor man make?
But I gave up a life of crime
I gave it to a friend of mine
Something else was on my mind
The only ghost I'm haunted by
I hear her howling down below
Idaho, Idaho
Wolves oh wolves oh can't you see?
Ain't no wolf can sing like me
And if it could then I suppose
That he belongs in Idaho
Packs of dogs and cigarettes
For those who ain't done packing yet
My clothes are packed and I want to go
Idaho, Idaho
Well, out at sea for seven years
I got your letter in Tangier
I thought that I'd been on a boat
'Til that single word you wrote
That single word it landlocked me
Turned the masts to cedar trees
And the wind to gravel roads
Idaho, Idaho
Lyrics submitted by EffulgentEnnui, edited by bucketsofrain, kv0the, wmax351
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This is the wrong song. The actual lyrics are as follows:
All that love all those mistakes What else can a poor man make? But I gave up a life of crime I gave it to a friend of mine Something else was on my mind The only ghost I'm haunted by I hear her howling down below Idaho, Idaho
Wolves oh wolves oh can't you see? Ain't no wolf can sing like me And if it could then I suppose That he belongs in Idaho Packs of dogs and cigarettes For those who ain't done packing yet My clothes are packed and I want to go Idaho, Idaho
Well, out at sea for seven years I got your letter in Tangier I thought that I'd been on a boat 'Til that single word you wrote That single word it landlocked me Turned the masts to cedar trees And the wind to gravel roads Idaho, Idaho
I will comment. I love the simplicity in the music of this song. It makes the lyrics stand out and give it even more meaning that they have as a stand-alone poem.
I love it. I'm from Idaho. When you hear this song you just have to stop and listen. Its really powerful, especially because it describes Idaho so well. I definately agree with what gabbyownsme said.
I love it. I'm from Idaho. When you hear this song you just have to stop and listen. Its really powerful, especially because it describes Idaho so well. I definately agree with what gabbyownsme said.
This song means one of either two things: (i) he left the girl he loves in Idaho and still misses her and her memory; or (ii) he has been away from Idaho for too long and longs to go back to the beauty and simplicity of Idaho.
he leaves the girl he loves, then gets a single word from her (in tangiers) and it reminds him of all he left behind in idaho (replace the masts with cedar trees, winds with gravel roads)
the gorgeous imagery of the lyrics made me stop and listen to the rest of this song, and I'm glad I did because it's stunning
I love the imagery. especially the masts to cedar trees, etc. Beautifullllll. and the soft music. Very powerful and emotional song.
This song is a reference back to Wilco/Billy Bragg's adaptation of Woody Gurthrie's "Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key": "ain't nobody can sing like me."
Being from Idaho, this song is rather poignant. Just like Josh Ritter, I had to leave Idaho to make my way in the world, and this will always be a ghost I'm haunted by- as I'll never be able to live there again due to my career choice.