"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.
I always played you songs to say
What I never could
Other people say it better
Say it better than I would
But for every word left unsaid
I thought you understood
Oh yeah
It was easier to kiss you
Than to tell you how I feel
Oh and I don't want to lose you
But you can't see that through your tears
You're saying that I hurt you
But I had no idea
I'm doing the best a man can
To make it
But you don't believe
Believe that I am
Just 'cause you say it's so
Doesn't make it so
Singing I don't show
What I'm feeling for you
I'd rather shut my mouth
Than to spell it out
There's no doubt
When it's written all over my face
What you want me to say that I don't say
What you want when it's written all over my face
If you want we can talk about it all day
But what's to say when it's written all over my face
You're not one of my boys
You can't get inside my mind
I'm not one of your girlfriends
Who's gonna see it from your side
What you lay on the table
Well I choose to keep inside
I'm doing my best to make it
To make it
But you don't believe
Believe that I am
Just 'cause you say it's so
Doesn't make it so
Saying I don't show
What I'm feeling for you
I'd rather shut my mouth
Than spell it out
There's no doubt
When it's written all over my face
What you want me to say that I don't say
What you want, when it's written all over my face
If you want we can talk about it all day
But what's to say when it's written all over my face
When it's written all over my face
When it's written all over my face
When it's written all over my face
There's nothing wrong but communication
It's just a problem of our own creation
Sometimes love gets lost in translation
Yeah, yeah
What you want me to say that I don't say
What you want when it's written all over my face
If you want we could talk about it all day
But what's to say
When it's written all over my face
All over my face
All over my face
When it's written all over my face
All over my face
There's nothing wrong but communication
It's just a problem of our own creation
Sometimes love gets lost in translation
What I never could
Other people say it better
Say it better than I would
But for every word left unsaid
I thought you understood
Oh yeah
It was easier to kiss you
Than to tell you how I feel
Oh and I don't want to lose you
But you can't see that through your tears
You're saying that I hurt you
But I had no idea
I'm doing the best a man can
To make it
But you don't believe
Believe that I am
Just 'cause you say it's so
Doesn't make it so
Singing I don't show
What I'm feeling for you
I'd rather shut my mouth
Than to spell it out
There's no doubt
When it's written all over my face
What you want me to say that I don't say
What you want when it's written all over my face
If you want we can talk about it all day
But what's to say when it's written all over my face
You're not one of my boys
You can't get inside my mind
I'm not one of your girlfriends
Who's gonna see it from your side
What you lay on the table
Well I choose to keep inside
I'm doing my best to make it
To make it
But you don't believe
Believe that I am
Just 'cause you say it's so
Doesn't make it so
Saying I don't show
What I'm feeling for you
I'd rather shut my mouth
Than spell it out
There's no doubt
When it's written all over my face
What you want me to say that I don't say
What you want, when it's written all over my face
If you want we can talk about it all day
But what's to say when it's written all over my face
When it's written all over my face
When it's written all over my face
When it's written all over my face
There's nothing wrong but communication
It's just a problem of our own creation
Sometimes love gets lost in translation
Yeah, yeah
What you want me to say that I don't say
What you want when it's written all over my face
If you want we could talk about it all day
But what's to say
When it's written all over my face
All over my face
All over my face
When it's written all over my face
All over my face
There's nothing wrong but communication
It's just a problem of our own creation
Sometimes love gets lost in translation
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Fast Car
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Dusty Springfield
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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Why should I tell you I love you when it's clearly written all over my face? If I had a boyfriend who played me songs to show his love I would be complaining! haha