"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.
Wouldn't ever gag you with a spoon, my only true love
Never really heard you speak that way, it's unworthy of
Funny how that little college girl called language corrupt
Funny how the other private schools had no Hapa Club
Someone took a trip before you came to ski in the Alps
Your father moved across the country just to sunburn his scalp
Contra Costa, Contra Mundum, contradict what I say
Living like the French Connection, but we'll die in LA
Blasted from a disconnected light switch
Through the condo that they'll never finish
Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish
And through your brain to California English
No one sits inside a freezing flat and stays there 'til May
Leafing through a stack of A to Z's to surf the UK
Waiting with the wind against your face and gel in your hair
Shivering in little undershirts, but don't seem to care
Blasted from a disconnected light switch
Through the condo that they'll never finish
Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish
And through your brain to California English
Sweet carob rice cake
She don't care how the sweets taste
Fake Philly cheese steak
But she use real toothpaste
'Cause if that Tom's don't work
If it just makes you worse
Would you loose all of you faith in the good Earth
And if it's all a curse
And we're just getting worse
Baby, please don't lose your faith in the good earth
Blasted from a disconnected light switch
Through the condo that they'll never finish
Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish
And through your brain to California English
Blasted from a disconnected light switch
Through the condo that they'll never finish
Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish
And through your brain to California English
Never really heard you speak that way, it's unworthy of
Funny how that little college girl called language corrupt
Funny how the other private schools had no Hapa Club
Someone took a trip before you came to ski in the Alps
Your father moved across the country just to sunburn his scalp
Contra Costa, Contra Mundum, contradict what I say
Living like the French Connection, but we'll die in LA
Blasted from a disconnected light switch
Through the condo that they'll never finish
Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish
And through your brain to California English
No one sits inside a freezing flat and stays there 'til May
Leafing through a stack of A to Z's to surf the UK
Waiting with the wind against your face and gel in your hair
Shivering in little undershirts, but don't seem to care
Blasted from a disconnected light switch
Through the condo that they'll never finish
Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish
And through your brain to California English
Sweet carob rice cake
She don't care how the sweets taste
Fake Philly cheese steak
But she use real toothpaste
'Cause if that Tom's don't work
If it just makes you worse
Would you loose all of you faith in the good Earth
And if it's all a curse
And we're just getting worse
Baby, please don't lose your faith in the good earth
Blasted from a disconnected light switch
Through the condo that they'll never finish
Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish
And through your brain to California English
Blasted from a disconnected light switch
Through the condo that they'll never finish
Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish
And through your brain to California English
Lyrics submitted by mchrissee, edited by dodgerblue, Peachre
California English Lyrics as written by Rostam Batmanglij Ezra Koenig
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Holiday
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
Yo La Tengo
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,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
to P456 - I actually do think that the phrase "good earth" might be a reference to Pearl Buck's novel The Good Earth. This might be total over-analyzation on my part, but one of the novel's underlying themes is the notion that fortune and wealth are culturally destructive. This fits really nicely with the theme of the song itself; "California English" is about the degradation of language, issues of money/fame, and the de-evolution of American culture. I don't think this is that great of a leap -- besides, the phrase "good earth" isn't really something people say often, as simple as the words might seem.
Glad someone else thought of the novel -- once I gave it some deeper thought it actually kinda made sense!