"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.
You have to do your best to come up to par, from straight off the
Production line like a car,
Till everything you put on is a put-on, and you don't know who's face
You're gazing upon
Could be anyone you're sending out there tonight, is it any wonder all of
The lights are too bright?
And you need temporary beauty, and pray to God that it doesn't rain
You need temporary beauty, even though it might be love in vain
The world is full of little people like you, they have to read a book to
Learn what to do
They hang around in second -hand[?] clothes, and every kind of pressure
Steps on their toes
Love doesn't fall out of a magazine, you mustn't always believe what you've seen
And you need temporary beauty, and pray to God that it doesn't rain
You need temporary beauty, even though it might be love in vain
Ah-ah temporary beauty, ah-ah temporary beauty, ah-ah temporary beauty
You might be the sweetest little girl in your heart,
But still the world [?] knows that and tears you apart
You think of the parties you'll never attend, you dream of someone who's
More than a friend
Love doesn't jump out of a magazine, you mustn't always believe what you've seen
And you need temporary beauty, and pray to God that it doesn't rain
You need temporary beauty, even though it might be love, even though it
Might be love,
Even though it might be love in vain
Production line like a car,
Till everything you put on is a put-on, and you don't know who's face
You're gazing upon
Could be anyone you're sending out there tonight, is it any wonder all of
The lights are too bright?
And you need temporary beauty, and pray to God that it doesn't rain
You need temporary beauty, even though it might be love in vain
The world is full of little people like you, they have to read a book to
Learn what to do
They hang around in second -hand[?] clothes, and every kind of pressure
Steps on their toes
Love doesn't fall out of a magazine, you mustn't always believe what you've seen
And you need temporary beauty, and pray to God that it doesn't rain
You need temporary beauty, even though it might be love in vain
Ah-ah temporary beauty, ah-ah temporary beauty, ah-ah temporary beauty
You might be the sweetest little girl in your heart,
But still the world [?] knows that and tears you apart
You think of the parties you'll never attend, you dream of someone who's
More than a friend
Love doesn't jump out of a magazine, you mustn't always believe what you've seen
And you need temporary beauty, and pray to God that it doesn't rain
You need temporary beauty, even though it might be love, even though it
Might be love,
Even though it might be love in vain
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Temporary Beauty Lyrics as written by Graham Thomas Parker
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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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A phenomenal song. Graham's impassioned vocals can't be beat.