"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 was walkin' down the street, minding my own affair
When two policemen grabbed me unaware
They said, is your name Henry, I says why sure?
He says you're the boy I been lookin' for
I was framed, framed, I was blamed
Framed, well I never do nothing
But I always get blamed, oh framed
They took me to the line where those bright lights shine
There was ten poor souls like me in that line
I knew I was a victim of someone's evil plan
When a stool-pigeon walked in an' says
Thats your man!
I was framed, framed, I was blamed
Oh, framed, framed, framed
Well, I never do nothing
But I always get blamed
Well, the prosecuting attorney started a-prosecuting me
Man, that cat didn't give me the one, but the third degree
He says, where were you in the night of July 1953
Man, I was just home, just a tweedle-ee-dee
I was framed, oh framed, I was blamed
Oh, framed, framed, framed
Well, I never do nothing
But I always get framed, oh framed
Oh framed
When two policemen grabbed me unaware
They said, is your name Henry, I says why sure?
He says you're the boy I been lookin' for
I was framed, framed, I was blamed
Framed, well I never do nothing
But I always get blamed, oh framed
They took me to the line where those bright lights shine
There was ten poor souls like me in that line
I knew I was a victim of someone's evil plan
When a stool-pigeon walked in an' says
Thats your man!
I was framed, framed, I was blamed
Oh, framed, framed, framed
Well, I never do nothing
But I always get blamed
Well, the prosecuting attorney started a-prosecuting me
Man, that cat didn't give me the one, but the third degree
He says, where were you in the night of July 1953
Man, I was just home, just a tweedle-ee-dee
I was framed, oh framed, I was blamed
Oh, framed, framed, framed
Well, I never do nothing
But I always get framed, oh framed
Oh framed
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Framed Lyrics as written by Mike Stoller Jerry Leiber
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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Yo La Tengo
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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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Just A Little Lovin'
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Magical
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