"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.
She was a new mean beauty queen,
Money, drugs, magazines,
I didn't do nothing, I didn't do nothing,
They gave her diamonds, shiny boys, city speak, every joy,
I didn't do nothing, no nothing for her
You can lead a horse to water but you can't expect it to drink
Now ain't that something, now ain't that something
Yeah when the world is at your gate, that won't satiate
Why are you crying if you offer nothing at all
Don't be a fly in my Martini baby come on down
The roof is high and I'm not climbing tonight,
Come down and I'll give you something to cry about
Fast cars, bougie bars, trial
and it drown in the scars
It won't do nothing, it won't do nothing
Even the best frame won't change your wet painting into,
The Mona Lisa, The Mona Lisa
You've got to dry your eyes baby
I know it's your party and you'll
Cry if you want to, cry if you want to
Yeah when the world is at your gate and that don't fill your plate
Why are you crying if you want for nothing at all
Don't be a fly in my Martini baby come on down
The roof is high and I'm not climbing tonight
Come down and I'll give you something to cry about
Money, drugs, magazines,
I didn't do nothing, I didn't do nothing,
They gave her diamonds, shiny boys, city speak, every joy,
I didn't do nothing, no nothing for her
You can lead a horse to water but you can't expect it to drink
Now ain't that something, now ain't that something
Yeah when the world is at your gate, that won't satiate
Why are you crying if you offer nothing at all
Don't be a fly in my Martini baby come on down
The roof is high and I'm not climbing tonight,
Come down and I'll give you something to cry about
Fast cars, bougie bars, trial
and it drown in the scars
It won't do nothing, it won't do nothing
Even the best frame won't change your wet painting into,
The Mona Lisa, The Mona Lisa
You've got to dry your eyes baby
I know it's your party and you'll
Cry if you want to, cry if you want to
Yeah when the world is at your gate and that don't fill your plate
Why are you crying if you want for nothing at all
Don't be a fly in my Martini baby come on down
The roof is high and I'm not climbing tonight
Come down and I'll give you something to cry about
Lyrics submitted by Justus0, edited by dirtysouth20
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Fast Car
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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,
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The sound of the tune and the general references to some "fancy party" (Martini is the obvious symbol) seem to indicate that this girl he's illustrating is the pretentious, flashy type. Generally it's a statement to all of those arrogant people, but in this case it's a particular woman that's "larger than life."
Perhaps the gender difference is a means of showing that love/humanity/compassion trumps this pretentious outlook a lot of people like to put out? (Come down and I'll give you something to cry about.) Not necessarily a masochism, but sort of a "Silly girl," taps on nose type of idea. You know, let me show you my world, type of thing.
Also, the Mona Lisa line really speaks to me. I hate the type of people that make something and present it in this overly extravagant, arrogant light and try to pass themselves off as hip. Argh!
Obviously the Fly in the Martini represents that even this uppity woman can taint elegance...yay, nay?
(Also, Zee Deveel and Megalomaniac come to mind. Generally anti-ego and useless extravagance...)
I like that because I hate lyrics that make absolutely no sense and at first I was like "Seriously, what the hell is he talking about!" But I like your interpretation.