"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.
Sugar man, won't you hurry?
'Cause I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin, won't you bring back
All those colors to my dreams?
Silver magic ships you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane
Sugar man met a false friend
On a lonely dusty road
Lost my heart when I found it
It had turned to dead black coal
Silver magic ships you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane
Sugar man, you're the answer
That makes my questions disappear
Sugar man, 'cause I'm weary
Of those double games I hear
Sugar man, sugar man, sugar man, sugar man
Sugar man, sugar man, sugar man
Sugar man, won't you hurry?
'Cause I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin, won't you bring back
All those colors to my dreams?
Silver magic ships you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane
Sugar man met a false friend
On a lonely dusty road
Lost my heart when I found it
It had turned to dead black coal
Silver magic ships you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane
Sugar man, you're the answer
That makes my questions disappear
'Cause I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin, won't you bring back
All those colors to my dreams?
Silver magic ships you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane
Sugar man met a false friend
On a lonely dusty road
Lost my heart when I found it
It had turned to dead black coal
Silver magic ships you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane
Sugar man, you're the answer
That makes my questions disappear
Sugar man, 'cause I'm weary
Of those double games I hear
Sugar man, sugar man, sugar man, sugar man
Sugar man, sugar man, sugar man
Sugar man, won't you hurry?
'Cause I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin, won't you bring back
All those colors to my dreams?
Silver magic ships you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane
Sugar man met a false friend
On a lonely dusty road
Lost my heart when I found it
It had turned to dead black coal
Silver magic ships you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane
Sugar man, you're the answer
That makes my questions disappear
Lyrics submitted by ophelia219, edited by rathyrye
Sugar Man Lyrics as written by Sixto Diaz Rodriguez
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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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Hahaha, this guy is only famous in South Africa and Australia... Weird, this song is about drugs and the false security it brings... And all that stuff. I like it :)
I'm in Canada and I know who he is.
I really wish Rodriguez had a larger American following. No one, and I mean NO ONE, in America knows about him or his music. This song is significant for me because this is the first song that I heard of his and I had absolutely no idea who it was and it took me quite a while to find out. It was all worth it because he is a gift to the world. Especially South Africa and Australia...
this is definitely about drugs, and i am so happy i found this artist! can't wait to keep listening.
beautiful description of the sickly sweet silence that drugs bring.
Listen to it with headphones! You'll thank me,
The way college students listen to music and/or use drugs and question the authorities are all what made him such a big hit. In Zimbabwe he was legendary.
yeah i only heard of him through a movie but he is a great artist and cold facts is the best album by him
@c-ro He only made two, and the second one probably wasn't quite as stunning and the first, so I guess you're correct. A total mystery how this singer didn't catch on in his homeland.
yeah, i heard him on the movie "Candy" which was amazing. this song is fantastic, i think im going to check out more of his stuff.
I've heard this one song many times, but knew nothing about the artist nor had heard any more of his work. I'm interested now in the new acclaimed doc on his life and in hearing more.
Every other song on Cold Fact is just as good as this one, I'd recommend a full listen to the album, it is spectacular. Sugar Man just happens to be the catchiest.
Tipo de los tripis (Sugar man) (Translated into Spaniard Spanish)
Tipo de los tripis, no tengas prisa, porque estoy cansado de estas escenas. Por una triste moneda, ¿le devolverias todos los colores a mis sueños?
Mágicos barcos de plata, anfetas, coca y dulce maría...
Tipo de los tripis, me encontré con un falso amigo en una calle solitaria y polvorienta. Tipo de los tripis, perdí mi corazón cuando lo encontré. Se había convertido en un negro carbón muerto.
Mágicos barcos de plata, anfetas, coca y dulce maría...
Tipo de los tripis, eres la respuesta que hace que todas mis preguntas desaparezcan. Tipo de los tripis, porque estoy hastiado de todos esos dobles juegos de los que oigo hablar.
Mágicos barcos de plata, anfetas, coca y dulce maría...