"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.
Here's to the Ronnie, the voice we adore
Like coals from a coal-bucket
Scraping the floor
Sing out his praises in music and march
And if you are not Irish
That isn't your fault
Raise up our voices like dogs in a pack
Thankful for honest man, we never lack
We got them by twenties, we got them by ones
Them and their daughters
And all of their sons
(Hey! Hey)
Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
Ronnie Drew
(Hey! Hey) , we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
I watched them plenty
Through right and 'er wrong
Whether I'm easy or whether I'm true
But as she lifted her petticoat easy and slow
I rolled up my sleeves for to buckle her shoe
Get up and work from five until five
When the whistle says better
We'll come back alive
He'll sing to the heavens
He's stormy as hell and wherever he goes
We'll be wishing him well
(Hey! Hey)
Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
(Hey) Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
Ronnie Drew (Hey) , we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
The dawn and the dusk, the unwise
The unjust gives and gets him gaze
The unheard, the unseen, the unwashed
And the clean where the
Streets all have names baggot Street
Meets the street right on
St stephen's Street lovers
And loners who can peer on your shoulders
The gods and the rapers
Immigrants and traders, sing about him
A man for a man and a hand for a hand
Trust in the music, strike up the band
The more that we sing, the less that we find
Time and again, this is brood to be right
Build you a statue on St stephen's Green
No fairer monument there to be seen
A statue of Ronnie Drew, holding the hand
Of a girl with her hair
In a black velvet band
(Hey! Hey)
Here's to you (No stranger to dare)
Ronnie Drew (Or angels to devil)
Here's to you
(A friend of a friend of a friend of a)
Ronnie Drew (A friend to you) ronnie Drew
(Ronnie Drew) , we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
(Ronnie Drew)
I watched them plenty
Through right and 'er wrong
Whether I'm easy or whether I'm true
But as she lifted her petticoat easy and slow
I rolled up my sleeves for to buckle her shoe
Like coals from a coal-bucket
Scraping the floor
Sing out his praises in music and march
And if you are not Irish
That isn't your fault
Raise up our voices like dogs in a pack
Thankful for honest man, we never lack
We got them by twenties, we got them by ones
Them and their daughters
And all of their sons
(Hey! Hey)
Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
Ronnie Drew
(Hey! Hey) , we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
I watched them plenty
Through right and 'er wrong
Whether I'm easy or whether I'm true
But as she lifted her petticoat easy and slow
I rolled up my sleeves for to buckle her shoe
Get up and work from five until five
When the whistle says better
We'll come back alive
He'll sing to the heavens
He's stormy as hell and wherever he goes
We'll be wishing him well
(Hey! Hey)
Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
(Hey) Here's to you (Hey) , Ronnie Drew (Hey)
Ronnie Drew (Hey) , we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
The dawn and the dusk, the unwise
The unjust gives and gets him gaze
The unheard, the unseen, the unwashed
And the clean where the
Streets all have names baggot Street
Meets the street right on
St stephen's Street lovers
And loners who can peer on your shoulders
The gods and the rapers
Immigrants and traders, sing about him
A man for a man and a hand for a hand
Trust in the music, strike up the band
The more that we sing, the less that we find
Time and again, this is brood to be right
Build you a statue on St stephen's Green
No fairer monument there to be seen
A statue of Ronnie Drew, holding the hand
Of a girl with her hair
In a black velvet band
(Hey! Hey)
Here's to you (No stranger to dare)
Ronnie Drew (Or angels to devil)
Here's to you
(A friend of a friend of a friend of a)
Ronnie Drew (A friend to you) ronnie Drew
(Ronnie Drew) , we love you, yes we do
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
Here's to you, Ronnie Drew, here's to you
(Ronnie Drew)
I watched them plenty
Through right and 'er wrong
Whether I'm easy or whether I'm true
But as she lifted her petticoat easy and slow
I rolled up my sleeves for to buckle her shoe
Lyrics submitted by young_jables
The Ballad Of Ronnie Drew Lyrics as written by Paul David Hewson David Evans
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Bee Gees
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Head > Heels
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
awesome song. great tribute.
Beautiful. I love that Glen Hansard sings the last line over the phone. A man could not ask for a better ballad. Here's to you, Ronnie Drew. Rest in peace.