"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.
Live it up, live it up
Or just come back home
Yeah, cause these city lights
Are too much for you alone
But San Francisco sounds quite lovely
And so I'll just wait for your call
I promise, I promise and wholly lonely
So stay awake, and stay
I try and go, but your game
It waits for me and you, love
So cover up for the rain
You see way too much safety
'Cause I don't stand a chance
Any longer than you do my friend
'Cause we should know best
Now that you're gone
'Cause I can't breathe
With these words on my tongue
But San Francisco still sounds lovely
'Cause he swears he still loves you
He still loves you
Come, lonely
So stay awake, and stay
I try and go, but your game
It waits for me and you, love
So cover up for the rain
You see way too much safety
'Cause I don't stand a chance
Any longer than you do my friend
But you're still keeping me sane
It's still in the way and I think
That nobody's watching
Yeah, nobody's watching me and
It's still in the way that I think
'Cause nobody's watching
Yeah, nobody's watching me and
It's still in the way that I think
'Cause nobody's watching
Yeah, nobody's watching
The rain
You see way too much safety
'Cause I don't stand a chance
Any longer than you do my friend
But you're still keeping me sane
The rain
You see way too much safety
'Cause I don't stand a chance
Any longer than you do my friend
But you're still keeping me sane
Or just come back home
Yeah, cause these city lights
Are too much for you alone
But San Francisco sounds quite lovely
And so I'll just wait for your call
I promise, I promise and wholly lonely
So stay awake, and stay
I try and go, but your game
It waits for me and you, love
So cover up for the rain
You see way too much safety
'Cause I don't stand a chance
Any longer than you do my friend
'Cause we should know best
Now that you're gone
'Cause I can't breathe
With these words on my tongue
But San Francisco still sounds lovely
'Cause he swears he still loves you
He still loves you
Come, lonely
So stay awake, and stay
I try and go, but your game
It waits for me and you, love
So cover up for the rain
You see way too much safety
'Cause I don't stand a chance
Any longer than you do my friend
But you're still keeping me sane
It's still in the way and I think
That nobody's watching
Yeah, nobody's watching me and
It's still in the way that I think
'Cause nobody's watching
Yeah, nobody's watching me and
It's still in the way that I think
'Cause nobody's watching
Yeah, nobody's watching
The rain
You see way too much safety
'Cause I don't stand a chance
Any longer than you do my friend
But you're still keeping me sane
The rain
You see way too much safety
'Cause I don't stand a chance
Any longer than you do my friend
But you're still keeping me sane
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Fast Car
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Great version of a great song,
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This is one of the best songs. It's beautiful the way he yells "rain". God, I love the chorus.
Anyone else think it may be "i promise, i promise, i'm wholly lonely." instead of "i'm holy, lonely." I just can't see "holy" fitting in. Lydia's never expressed any religion that I've noticed.
His girl probably told him they need time apart to figure stuff out, and skipped town (to San Francisco where she found someone else, it sounds like). Also seems like he's more willing to take a chance on their relationship than she is. So he's left alone, holding onto this idea that she might come back for him. He thinks he doesn't "stand a chance" without her, so he says kind of sarcastically "we sure know best now that you're gone" (regarding what they needed to figure out). Yet at the same time, her absence has this sobering effect on his mentality--he can think more clearly without her around involving him in her mind games. It is indeed sad. But a beautiful song all around, I love the meter changes, the echoes and the yelling chorus.
"Because I don't stand a chance Any longer than you do my friend But you're still keeping me sane"
aww hell yeah. great song.
this is my favorite of the new album, so, so good.
"The rain, you see in way too much safety Because I don't stand a chance."
This is sung beautifully.
The acoustic version may almost be better....
corrections "I promise I'm holding, lonely" not holy
"the rain, you've seen way too much safety"
correction to the correction<br /> its: "i promise i'm wholly lonely." <br /> <br /> so they were right, it was just wrong spelling.<br /> <br /> this song is my favorite.
also, in an interview with Leighton (youtube.com/watch)he says at the end, that the line is "You see in way too much safety."
First song of theirs that I bought... God I love this band...
san francisco is quite lovely and so is lydia, :].