"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.
Christopher Daniel Gay was arrested on a Friday
In Florida at the Daytona International Speedway
He was a fugitive on the run,
Christopher made a quick escape
While being transported in a van
That was picking up convicts state to state.
He did it during a bathroom break,
He hot-wired somebody's pickup
In fact,
Christopher had a long history of theft
Involving trucks,
He was on route to Alabama
For stealing someone's travel trailer
Grand Theft Auto
He was a career criminal, jailbird
Who also had three outstanding warrants
In his home state of Tennessee
It was an outstanding performance that set him free
Little Houdini
Stole a big rig, then a tour bus that belonged to Crystal Gayle
To evade a five state manhunt that wanted to put that birdy back in jail
But they failed
'cause Christopher wasn't just running from cops
Christopher Gay was now racing a clock
His mother was dying
And there was no time to be held
Inside of a cage with locks
So yall can turn up your nose
And suck on your teeth and wag your finger like tsk-tsk
But he had to take the risk
Little Houdini
There wasn't a single thing sinister in his decision
To break from the prison
His only motive was to go back to his childhood home
While his mom was still living
It wasn't a house
More like an old mobile camper
Where she was bedridden diagnosed with colon cancer
Sometimes,
The only answer we're left with
When the loved one's name is on the death list
Is to head for the exits and go home
Christopher got the hell out of Texas
His abandonment was reckless
It prolonged his sentence
Y'all can forget it
He had numerous convictions and none were as strong as this
Unless you consider the other instance
He went the distance
Similar situation, it was a bizarre coincidence
When he escaped from the prison the first time,
Not this time, but the one before
He visited his dad
Cause he was dying inside of a mental ward
Suffering from Alzheimer's
He paid respects
Made his peace
When he was done
He didn't run
He returned himself back to the police
That's when his mom made her plea
She said:
"He knows what he done was wrong,
But he knows his father don't got long
He's not a fugitive on the run
He's not dangerous, he's our son
He ain't never hurt no one
He knows what he's done was wrong,
But he knows his father don't got long
He's not a fugitive on the run
He's our son"
This ain't no country western song.
Christopher wasn't just running from cops
Christopher Gay was now racing a clock
His mother was dying
And there was no time to be held
Inside of a cage with locks
So y'all can go on tossing rocks
And talk your talk like tsk tsk
Meanwhile Chris is stealing a tractor trailer from Wal-Mart
An 18 wheeler, he's peeling rubber the bird takes flight down turnpikes
Three hundred thousand dollars worth of merchandise,
But it ain't worth her life
Ran it off the road, and abandoned it
50 yards from his moms to avoid the cops
That's half a football field from her feeble arms
After all this stuff
The tour bus, the pick up trucks
The tractor trailer, interstate chases
He put on the brakes and couldn't get close enough
The news reporters told people to lock their doors
Like there was a monster on the loose
But there was no truth to those reports.
His mom had weeks to live
And Chris had years to serve
They were within shouting distance
But I don't think he heard her final words.
I don't think he heard her final words.
She made her plea to the TV
"He knows what he's done was wrong,
But he knows his mama don't got long
He's not a fugitive on the run
He's not dangerous, he's our son
He ain't never hurt no one
He knows what he's done was wrong,
But he knows his mama don't got long
He's not a fugitive on the run
He's not dangerous, he's our son"
This ain't no country western song.
The third time he escaped from a state cop at the Georgia pit-stop
He just slipped out of the handcuffs, he jumped ship then he took off
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just an open road where he could be free
Little Houdini
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just a wide open sky where he could fly
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just an open road where he could be free
Little Houdini
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just a wide open sky where he could fly
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just an open road where he could be free
Little Houdini
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just a wide open sky where he could fly
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just an open road where he could be free
Little Houdini
In Florida at the Daytona International Speedway
He was a fugitive on the run,
Christopher made a quick escape
While being transported in a van
That was picking up convicts state to state.
He did it during a bathroom break,
He hot-wired somebody's pickup
In fact,
Christopher had a long history of theft
Involving trucks,
He was on route to Alabama
For stealing someone's travel trailer
Grand Theft Auto
He was a career criminal, jailbird
Who also had three outstanding warrants
In his home state of Tennessee
It was an outstanding performance that set him free
Little Houdini
Stole a big rig, then a tour bus that belonged to Crystal Gayle
To evade a five state manhunt that wanted to put that birdy back in jail
But they failed
'cause Christopher wasn't just running from cops
Christopher Gay was now racing a clock
His mother was dying
And there was no time to be held
Inside of a cage with locks
So yall can turn up your nose
And suck on your teeth and wag your finger like tsk-tsk
But he had to take the risk
Little Houdini
There wasn't a single thing sinister in his decision
To break from the prison
His only motive was to go back to his childhood home
While his mom was still living
It wasn't a house
More like an old mobile camper
Where she was bedridden diagnosed with colon cancer
Sometimes,
The only answer we're left with
When the loved one's name is on the death list
Is to head for the exits and go home
Christopher got the hell out of Texas
His abandonment was reckless
It prolonged his sentence
Y'all can forget it
He had numerous convictions and none were as strong as this
Unless you consider the other instance
He went the distance
Similar situation, it was a bizarre coincidence
When he escaped from the prison the first time,
Not this time, but the one before
He visited his dad
Cause he was dying inside of a mental ward
Suffering from Alzheimer's
He paid respects
Made his peace
When he was done
He didn't run
He returned himself back to the police
That's when his mom made her plea
She said:
"He knows what he done was wrong,
But he knows his father don't got long
He's not a fugitive on the run
He's not dangerous, he's our son
He ain't never hurt no one
He knows what he's done was wrong,
But he knows his father don't got long
He's not a fugitive on the run
He's our son"
This ain't no country western song.
Christopher wasn't just running from cops
Christopher Gay was now racing a clock
His mother was dying
And there was no time to be held
Inside of a cage with locks
So y'all can go on tossing rocks
And talk your talk like tsk tsk
Meanwhile Chris is stealing a tractor trailer from Wal-Mart
An 18 wheeler, he's peeling rubber the bird takes flight down turnpikes
Three hundred thousand dollars worth of merchandise,
But it ain't worth her life
Ran it off the road, and abandoned it
50 yards from his moms to avoid the cops
That's half a football field from her feeble arms
After all this stuff
The tour bus, the pick up trucks
The tractor trailer, interstate chases
He put on the brakes and couldn't get close enough
The news reporters told people to lock their doors
Like there was a monster on the loose
But there was no truth to those reports.
His mom had weeks to live
And Chris had years to serve
They were within shouting distance
But I don't think he heard her final words.
I don't think he heard her final words.
She made her plea to the TV
"He knows what he's done was wrong,
But he knows his mama don't got long
He's not a fugitive on the run
He's not dangerous, he's our son
He ain't never hurt no one
He knows what he's done was wrong,
But he knows his mama don't got long
He's not a fugitive on the run
He's not dangerous, he's our son"
This ain't no country western song.
The third time he escaped from a state cop at the Georgia pit-stop
He just slipped out of the handcuffs, he jumped ship then he took off
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just an open road where he could be free
Little Houdini
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just a wide open sky where he could fly
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just an open road where he could be free
Little Houdini
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just a wide open sky where he could fly
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just an open road where he could be free
Little Houdini
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just a wide open sky where he could fly
With no father to visit, no mom to go home to
Just an open road where he could be free
Little Houdini
Lyrics submitted by Surgical_Tools
Little Houdini Lyrics as written by Sage Francis Jason Lytle
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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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,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Punchline
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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.
Fantastic song, one of Sage's best ever in my opinion. It tells the true story of Christopher Daniel Gay aka Little Houdini: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Daniel_Gay
I've read a variety of news reports about this guy and most of the events mentioned in this song seem to be completely factually correct. The 'chorus' parts about the mother's plea are even a direct quote of her actual words to the police, more-or-less.
The only part of this song that I've found no evidence to be true, is this verse:
"Similar situation, it was a bizarre coincidence When he escaped from the prison the first time, Not this time, but the one before He visited his dad Cause he was dying inside of a mental ward Suffering from Alzheimer's He paid respects Made his peace When he was done He didn't run He returned himself back to the police"
I've not read anywhere that he escaped from prison to visit his dying dad, or that he ever turned himself back to the police after escaping. Does anybody know if Sage made this part up to embellish the story for the purposes of the song, or whether this did actually happen? I acknowledge that this verse certainly makes it an even more beautiful tale for the song, but it would be nice to know whether or not it's true.