"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 am fueled by all forms of failure
I paid the price, so I'll take what's mine
I bet you didn't see that one comin'
'Cause I do as I please and apologize for nothing
My time is flying but I'm still second to none
Always shining the brightest when I'm placed under the gun
So here I stand
The only son of a working class man
I won't be held back
I can't be held down
Where were you
When my walls came falling down? (They came falling down)
You tried to hide, you stood close by
And didn't make a sound (say something)
Find you some paper and I'll go grab you a pen
You can start taking notes on this all starting again
Been dead last but found my way to the front
Said my inspirational quotes on why I never gave up
Where were you
When my walls came falling down? (They came falling down)
You tried to hide, you stood close by
And didn't make a sound
Where were you
When it all came back around? (It comes back around)
The reasons why you passed me by
Will always hold you down (say something)
If you can't stand the pressure
Stay the fuck out of my way (I know my place)
This one goes out to everyone who's lied to my face
My heart is filled with hate
I'm making a difference
I'm taking a chance (a chance)
You can say what you want about me
But no one can tell me I can't
Where were you
When my walls came falling down? (They came falling down)
You tried to hide, you stood close by
And didn't make a sound
Where were you
When it all came back around? (It comes back around)
The reasons why you passed me by
Will always hold you down (say something)
I paid the price, so I'll take what's mine
I bet you didn't see that one comin'
'Cause I do as I please and apologize for nothing
My time is flying but I'm still second to none
Always shining the brightest when I'm placed under the gun
So here I stand
The only son of a working class man
I won't be held back
I can't be held down
Where were you
When my walls came falling down? (They came falling down)
You tried to hide, you stood close by
And didn't make a sound (say something)
Find you some paper and I'll go grab you a pen
You can start taking notes on this all starting again
Been dead last but found my way to the front
Said my inspirational quotes on why I never gave up
Where were you
When my walls came falling down? (They came falling down)
You tried to hide, you stood close by
And didn't make a sound
Where were you
When it all came back around? (It comes back around)
The reasons why you passed me by
Will always hold you down (say something)
If you can't stand the pressure
Stay the fuck out of my way (I know my place)
This one goes out to everyone who's lied to my face
My heart is filled with hate
I'm making a difference
I'm taking a chance (a chance)
You can say what you want about me
But no one can tell me I can't
Where were you
When my walls came falling down? (They came falling down)
You tried to hide, you stood close by
And didn't make a sound
Where were you
When it all came back around? (It comes back around)
The reasons why you passed me by
Will always hold you down (say something)
Lyrics submitted by Dreadnaut9871
Sticks & Bricks Lyrics as written by Jeremy Wade Mckinnon Alexander Thomas Shelnutt
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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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I read somewhere that this song is about their warped tour family? If so, then the 'So here I stand the only son of a working class man' probably is talking about how he's mad that so many warped bands (NeverShoutNever, etc.) paid their way to the top and he worked for it.
Well at from the bonus DVD from the album, Jeremy talks about how the song title is from a special code the security guards at Warped Tour used called Sticks & Bricks when things got hectic. I wouldn't be too surprised if it was about them though.