"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.
Well, I came down there with my hat caved in
Oh I'll go back home with my pocket full of tin oh doo-dah day
Goin' to run all night, goin' to run all day
I'll bet my money on the bobtail nag, somebody bet on the bay
Well, the Camptown ladies sing this song doodah doodah
Ah the Camptown race track's five miles long oh doo-dah day
Goin' to run all night, goin' to run all day
I'll bet my money on the bobtail nag, somebody bet on the bay
Oh I'll go back home with my pocket full of tin oh doo-dah day
Goin' to run all night, goin' to run all day
I'll bet my money on the bobtail nag, somebody bet on the bay
Well, the Camptown ladies sing this song doodah doodah
Ah the Camptown race track's five miles long oh doo-dah day
Goin' to run all night, goin' to run all day
I'll bet my money on the bobtail nag, somebody bet on the bay
Lyrics submitted by othatzsokewl
Camptown Races Lyrics as written by Foster
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Real lyrics
De Camptown ladies sing dis song, Doo-dah! doo-dah! De Camptown race-track five miles long, Oh, doo-dah day! I come down dah wid my hat caved in, Doo-dah! doo-dah! I go back home wid a pocket full of tin, Oh, doo-dah day!
Gwine to run all night! Gwine to run all day! I'll bet my money on de bob-tail nag Somebody bet on de bay
De long tail filly and de big black hoss, Doo-dah! doo-dah! Dey fly de track and dey both cut across, Oh, doo-dah-day! De blind hoss sticken in a big mud hole, Doo-dah! doo-dah! Can't touch bottom wid a ten foot pole, Oh, doo-dah-day!
Gwine to run all night! Gwine to run all day! I'll bet my money on de bob-tail nag Somebody bet on de bay
Old muley cow come on to de track, Doo-dah! doo-dah! De bob-tail fling her ober his back, Oh, doo-dah-day! Den fly along like a rail-road car, Doo-dah! doo-dah! Runnin' a race wid a shootin' star, Oh, doo-dah-day!
Gwine to run all night! Gwine to run all day! I'll bet my money on de bob-tail nag Somebody bet on de bay
See dem flyin' on a ten mile heat, Doo-dah doo-dah! Round de race track, den repeat, Oh, doo-dah-day! I win my money on de bob-tail nag, Doo-dah! doo-dah! I keep my money in an old tow-bag, Oh, doo-dah-day!
Gwine to run all night! Gwine to run all day! I'll bet my money on de bob-tail nag Somebody bet on de bay
Gwine to run all night! Gwine to run all day! I'll bet my money on de bob-tail nag Somebody bet on de bay
Gwine to run all night! Gwine to run all day! I'll bet my money on de bob-tail nag Somebody bet on de bay