"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.
My old man is a bad man, but
I can't deny the way he holds my hand
And he grabs me, he has me by my heart
He doesn't mind I have a Las Vegas past
He doesn't mind I have a L.A. Crass way about me
He loves me with every beat of his cocaine heart
Swimming pool, glimmering darling
White bikini off with my red nail polish
Watch me in the swimming pool, bright blue ripples, you
Sitting sipping on your Black Cristal, oh yeah
Light of my life, fire of my loins
Be a good baby, do what I want
Light of my life, fire of my loins
Gimme them gold coins, gimme them coins
And I'm off to the races, cases of Bacardi chasers
Chasing me all over town
'Cause he knows I'm wasted, facing
Time again at Riker's Island and I won't get out
Because I'm crazy, baby
I need you to come here and save me
I'm your little scarlet starlet
Singing in the garden
Kiss me on my open mouth
Ready for you
My old man is a tough man, but
He got a soul as sweet as blood-red jam
And he shows me, he knows me, every inch of my tar black soul
He doesn't mind I have a flat broke-down life
In fact, he says he thinks it's what he might like about me, admires me
The way I roll like a rolling stone
He likes to watch me in the glass room, bathroom, Chateau Marmont
Slipping on my red dress, putting on my makeup
Glass film, perfume, cognac, lilac fumes
Says it feels like Heaven to him
Light of his life, fire of his loins
Keep me forever, tell me you own me
Light of your life, fire of your loins
Tell me you own me, gimme them coins
And I'm off to the races, cases of Bacardi chasers
Chasing me all over town
'Cause he knows I'm wasted, facing
Time again at Riker's Island and I won't get out
Because I'm crazy, baby
I need you to come here and save me
I'm your little scarlet starlet
Singing in the garden
Kiss me on my open mouth
Yo, I'm off to the races, laces
Leather on my waist is
Tight and I am falling down
I can see your faces, shameless
Cipriani's basement
Love you, but I'm going down
God, I'm so crazy, baby
I'm sorry that I'm misbehaving
I'm your little harlot starlet
Queen of Coney Island
Raising hell all over town
Sorry 'bout it
My old man is a thief, and
I'm gonna stay and pray with him 'til the end
But I trust in the decision of the Lord
To watch over us
Take him when He may, if He may
I'm not afraid to say
That I'd die without him
Who else is gonna put up with me this way?
I need you, I breathe you, I'll never leave you
They would rue the day, I was alone without you
You're lying with your gold chain on
Cigar hanging from your lips, I said, "Hon'
You never looked so beautiful
As you do now, my man"
And we're off to the races, places
Ready, set, the gate is down and now we're going in
To Las Vegas, chaos
Casino Oasis, honey, it is time to spin
Boy, you're so crazy, baby
I love you forever, not maybe
You are my one true love
You are my one true love
You are my one true love
I can't deny the way he holds my hand
And he grabs me, he has me by my heart
He doesn't mind I have a Las Vegas past
He doesn't mind I have a L.A. Crass way about me
He loves me with every beat of his cocaine heart
Swimming pool, glimmering darling
White bikini off with my red nail polish
Watch me in the swimming pool, bright blue ripples, you
Sitting sipping on your Black Cristal, oh yeah
Light of my life, fire of my loins
Be a good baby, do what I want
Light of my life, fire of my loins
Gimme them gold coins, gimme them coins
And I'm off to the races, cases of Bacardi chasers
Chasing me all over town
'Cause he knows I'm wasted, facing
Time again at Riker's Island and I won't get out
Because I'm crazy, baby
I need you to come here and save me
I'm your little scarlet starlet
Singing in the garden
Kiss me on my open mouth
Ready for you
My old man is a tough man, but
He got a soul as sweet as blood-red jam
And he shows me, he knows me, every inch of my tar black soul
He doesn't mind I have a flat broke-down life
In fact, he says he thinks it's what he might like about me, admires me
The way I roll like a rolling stone
He likes to watch me in the glass room, bathroom, Chateau Marmont
Slipping on my red dress, putting on my makeup
Glass film, perfume, cognac, lilac fumes
Says it feels like Heaven to him
Light of his life, fire of his loins
Keep me forever, tell me you own me
Light of your life, fire of your loins
Tell me you own me, gimme them coins
And I'm off to the races, cases of Bacardi chasers
Chasing me all over town
'Cause he knows I'm wasted, facing
Time again at Riker's Island and I won't get out
Because I'm crazy, baby
I need you to come here and save me
I'm your little scarlet starlet
Singing in the garden
Kiss me on my open mouth
Yo, I'm off to the races, laces
Leather on my waist is
Tight and I am falling down
I can see your faces, shameless
Cipriani's basement
Love you, but I'm going down
God, I'm so crazy, baby
I'm sorry that I'm misbehaving
I'm your little harlot starlet
Queen of Coney Island
Raising hell all over town
Sorry 'bout it
My old man is a thief, and
I'm gonna stay and pray with him 'til the end
But I trust in the decision of the Lord
To watch over us
Take him when He may, if He may
I'm not afraid to say
That I'd die without him
Who else is gonna put up with me this way?
I need you, I breathe you, I'll never leave you
They would rue the day, I was alone without you
You're lying with your gold chain on
Cigar hanging from your lips, I said, "Hon'
You never looked so beautiful
As you do now, my man"
And we're off to the races, places
Ready, set, the gate is down and now we're going in
To Las Vegas, chaos
Casino Oasis, honey, it is time to spin
Boy, you're so crazy, baby
I love you forever, not maybe
You are my one true love
You are my one true love
You are my one true love
Lyrics submitted by dustybreeze, edited by rainbowcrayon, LanaDRey, NicoIe, CatJones, irisme, Icymirrors, clouds1, kitsunegari101, Natalie21, dfschei, sydneyk84, ARJ428, scottdoesntknow628, Greenquee, Scarrlet
Off To the Races Lyrics as written by Elizabeth Grant Tim Larcombe
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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