"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 don't believe in absolutes anymore
I'm quite prepared to admit I was wrong
This life it sucks your principles away
You have to fight against it every single day
These are the postcards from a young man
They may never be written or posted again
These are the postcards from a young man
They may never be written or posted again
It is like so many other things
As distant as your former sins
So sad and lonely and so derelict
As the optimism that we once shared
These are the postcards from a young man
They may never be written or posted again
These are the postcards from a young man
They may never be written or posted again
I'll send you postcards every single day
Just to prove I still exist
This world will not impose its will
I will not give up and I will not give in
And I will not give up and I will not give in
I won't betray your confidence
I won't pretend my way was lost
This world will not impose its will
I will not give up and I will not give in
I'm quite prepared to admit I was wrong
This life it sucks your principles away
You have to fight against it every single day
These are the postcards from a young man
They may never be written or posted again
These are the postcards from a young man
They may never be written or posted again
It is like so many other things
As distant as your former sins
So sad and lonely and so derelict
As the optimism that we once shared
These are the postcards from a young man
They may never be written or posted again
These are the postcards from a young man
They may never be written or posted again
I'll send you postcards every single day
Just to prove I still exist
This world will not impose its will
I will not give up and I will not give in
And I will not give up and I will not give in
I won't betray your confidence
I won't pretend my way was lost
This world will not impose its will
I will not give up and I will not give in
Lyrics submitted by deltasunlight
Postcards from a Young Man Lyrics as written by Nicholas Jones James Bradfield
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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Does nobody else think that this seems like it's written by Richey, almost as though he's telling the band he's still alive? Hmm.
It's about a last chance.
The young man is in doubt. He wrote and posted so many postcards (this is to be taken literally) but is threatening to stop doing so, to wait for a response. But at the other side he will not give up and will not give in.
These postcards tell a sad story, a story of loss & a story of hope!
Furthermore, he holds close to what he thinks / believes is true. In his conviction, he will not betray confidence, whilst he is the one letting out his personal information.
A confirmation for me to post some more letters towards my ex-girlfriend. Fuck you, James Dean!
Like this, staying strong against the fact you've fallen out of favour and are misunderstood. Even if it has been ages, keep up the fight. Thats all I get so far.
Will wait for others to bring meaning.
This song i feel is about how your ideals get washed away with ages, much like songs like Bob Dylan - My Back Pages and Kent - Sundance kid(swedish sorry)
This is specialy to people that have had strong ideals. You find your ideals are fadeing and all the small things that seemed trivial start geting to you. Then suddenly you think back and realise that even thought you promised you would never change you have.
@ Magimo Don't think this is about Richey, but he is a symbole of not changeing not geting les radical. It is belived by many that he left because MSP had "sold out". They originaly made the band to speak there ideals.
Hmm I also think its partly an admitance that some elements of marxism are wrong... like not liking families or not liking human emotions.
Hmm I also think its partly an admitance that some elements of marxism are wrong... like not liking families or not liking human emotions.
I think you're right mr Foss.
This is a text where your old self are reminding you of a younger and more rebel you. Remembering old values, couses and ideas for a old political state. We have grown all to old hassen't we Sundance Kid?
'Postcards From A Young Man, it came pretty late... it felt like it needed it to make the album sound complete. Y'know, you can hear in it records like Design For Life, and maybe even Second Great Depression off Send Away The Tigers. Lyrically, it's just my fascination really with the west of Wales and looking back at my old postcards from James and Sean and Richey, and my mum. Y'know, my mum used to do this thing where if I couldn't go to a gig, say if The Smiths were playing at St David's Hall, she'd send a postcard saying "Oh, my son's really ill, can you send him a postcard?", not that I was, so I've got all these brilliant ones off Morrissey, and there's one off The Jesus And Mary Chain when Bobby Gillespie saying "Get well soon, from Jesus Christ". I was literally 14 and 15 at the time... got one off PiL, a really nice one off John Lydon and stuff... my mum she was ahead of the game.'