"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.
Small fry, strutting by the pool room
Small fry, should be in the school room
My, my put down that cigarette
You ain't grown up high and mighty yet
Small fry, dancing for a penny
Small fry, counting up how many
My, my just listen here to me
You ain't the biggest catfish in the sea
You practice pecking all day long to some old radio song
(Oh, yes, I peck, oh, yes)
Now you better listen to your pa
And someday practice upon the law
Then you'll be a real success
(Yes?)
Yes
(Well, yes)
Small fry, and now you kissed the neighbor's daughter
Small fry, get on back in the shallow water
Seems I should take you cross my knee
'Cause you ain't the biggest catfish in the sea
You've got your feet all soakin wet
Lord, you'll be the death of me yet
Oh, me, oh my, small fry
You call me small fry
(Oh, you is most infinitesimal, too small for your britches)
You call me small fry
(Now, now, now you look at here, you're shorter than me
I wonder where my smoke is)
My, my, my, my, my
I never heard such cannon
(Be still, boy)
You better look in the closet, Ma
I'll bet the chillies are gone
Oh, small fry I saw you out there betting on those ponies
(Tall fry, you know that you picked all the ponies)
My, my, my, my, now, you just listen here to me now
(I know, I know, I know, I know
I ain't the biggest catfish in the sea, you said that before)
You got a pina Kodak in your pocket
(What happened to Mars
Where in ring did you hock it? Oh, yes)
Oh, not so loud
(Oh yes)
You signed your own report card last night
Now didn't you?
(Well, why don't you learn how to write
And then you'll be a real success)
Yes, yes, well, yes
Small fry, now you kissed the neighbor's daughter
(Well, I gave her a small smack but quite happy
You the one who taught her)
Seems I should take you across my knee
Now you ain't the bigger cat fish in the sea
I know how to fix this boy
Is that casting all around here?
(I just slipped it in your beer)
Oh me, oh, my small fry
Small fry, should be in the school room
My, my put down that cigarette
You ain't grown up high and mighty yet
Small fry, dancing for a penny
Small fry, counting up how many
My, my just listen here to me
You ain't the biggest catfish in the sea
You practice pecking all day long to some old radio song
(Oh, yes, I peck, oh, yes)
Now you better listen to your pa
And someday practice upon the law
Then you'll be a real success
(Yes?)
Yes
(Well, yes)
Small fry, and now you kissed the neighbor's daughter
Small fry, get on back in the shallow water
Seems I should take you cross my knee
'Cause you ain't the biggest catfish in the sea
You've got your feet all soakin wet
Lord, you'll be the death of me yet
Oh, me, oh my, small fry
You call me small fry
(Oh, you is most infinitesimal, too small for your britches)
You call me small fry
(Now, now, now you look at here, you're shorter than me
I wonder where my smoke is)
My, my, my, my, my
I never heard such cannon
(Be still, boy)
You better look in the closet, Ma
I'll bet the chillies are gone
Oh, small fry I saw you out there betting on those ponies
(Tall fry, you know that you picked all the ponies)
My, my, my, my, now, you just listen here to me now
(I know, I know, I know, I know
I ain't the biggest catfish in the sea, you said that before)
You got a pina Kodak in your pocket
(What happened to Mars
Where in ring did you hock it? Oh, yes)
Oh, not so loud
(Oh yes)
You signed your own report card last night
Now didn't you?
(Well, why don't you learn how to write
And then you'll be a real success)
Yes, yes, well, yes
Small fry, now you kissed the neighbor's daughter
(Well, I gave her a small smack but quite happy
You the one who taught her)
Seems I should take you across my knee
Now you ain't the bigger cat fish in the sea
I know how to fix this boy
Is that casting all around here?
(I just slipped it in your beer)
Oh me, oh, my small fry
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Small Fry Lyrics as written by Hoagy Carmichael Frank Loesser
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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