"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.
If you could read my mind, love,
What a tale my thoughts would tell.
Just like an old time movie
Bout a ghost from a wishin' well.
In a castle dark, or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me.
And I will never be set free
As long as I'm a ghost that you can't see.
If I could read your mind, love,
What a tale your thoughts would tell.
Just like a paper-back novel
The kind that drug stores sell.
When you reach the part
Where the heartaches come
The hero would be me
And heroes often fail
And you won't read that book again
Because the ending's just too hard to take.
I walk away like a movie star
Who gets burned in a three-way script
Enter number two
A movie queen to plays the scene
Of bringing all the good things out in me.
But for now, love, lets be real.
I never thought I could act this way
And I've got to say
That I just don't get it.
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone
And I just can't get it back
If you could read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell.
Just like an old time movie
Bout a ghost from a wishin' well
In a castle dark, or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
And stories always have an end.
If you read between the line
You know I'm just trying to understand
The feelings that you lack
I never thought I could act this way
And I've got to say that I just don't get it.
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone
And I just can't get it
Never thought I could act this way.
And I've got to say that I just don't get it.
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone
And I just can't get it back
What a tale my thoughts would tell.
Just like an old time movie
Bout a ghost from a wishin' well.
In a castle dark, or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me.
And I will never be set free
As long as I'm a ghost that you can't see.
If I could read your mind, love,
What a tale your thoughts would tell.
Just like a paper-back novel
The kind that drug stores sell.
When you reach the part
Where the heartaches come
The hero would be me
And heroes often fail
And you won't read that book again
Because the ending's just too hard to take.
I walk away like a movie star
Who gets burned in a three-way script
Enter number two
A movie queen to plays the scene
Of bringing all the good things out in me.
But for now, love, lets be real.
I never thought I could act this way
And I've got to say
That I just don't get it.
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone
And I just can't get it back
If you could read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell.
Just like an old time movie
Bout a ghost from a wishin' well
In a castle dark, or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
And stories always have an end.
If you read between the line
You know I'm just trying to understand
The feelings that you lack
I never thought I could act this way
And I've got to say that I just don't get it.
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone
And I just can't get it
Never thought I could act this way.
And I've got to say that I just don't get it.
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone
And I just can't get it back
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
If You Could Read My Mind Lyrics as written by Gordon Lightfoot
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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