"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.
Tous les palmiers, tous les bananiers
Vont pousser pareil quand je s'rai parti
J'm'en vas chez nous, c'est l'été
Chez nous, y ont sorti les chaises sur la galerie
Chus tanné d'entendre le bruit des vagues (aloha)
Moi, j'm'en vas chez nous, j'ai l'goût d'entendre
Crier "Manon, viens souper"
"Attends pas qu'moman a s'choque pis qu'a descende"
Manon, viens souper, si tu viens pas tout d'suite ben là, tu pourras t'en passer
Attends pas qu'moman, a soit tannée
Pis qu'a descende
Adieu adieu, pays des oranges (Florida)
J'm'en vas aider mon frère qui déménage
Avec l'été qui r'commence
Chez nous, y ont dû sortir les bicycles du garage
M'a arriver en ville jeudi midi (Jeudi midi)
M'a prendre le métro jusqu'à Beaubien
En faisant semblant de rien
M'a arrêter au coin d'la rue pour appeler ma blonde
Là, ça va sonner un coup, deux coups, trois coups, quatre coups pis là a va répondre
Là m'a dire "comment ça va, ma blonde? Ben oui, chus r'venu"
Tous les palmiers, tous les bananiers (Aloha)
Vont pousser pareil quand je s'rai parti
Vous pourrez m'écrire ici
Soixante et sept soixante Saint-Vallier, Montréal
Soixante et sept soixante Saint-Vallier, Montréal
Soixante et sept soixante
Vont pousser pareil quand je s'rai parti
J'm'en vas chez nous, c'est l'été
Chez nous, y ont sorti les chaises sur la galerie
Chus tanné d'entendre le bruit des vagues (aloha)
Moi, j'm'en vas chez nous, j'ai l'goût d'entendre
Crier "Manon, viens souper"
"Attends pas qu'moman a s'choque pis qu'a descende"
Manon, viens souper, si tu viens pas tout d'suite ben là, tu pourras t'en passer
Attends pas qu'moman, a soit tannée
Pis qu'a descende
Adieu adieu, pays des oranges (Florida)
J'm'en vas aider mon frère qui déménage
Avec l'été qui r'commence
Chez nous, y ont dû sortir les bicycles du garage
M'a arriver en ville jeudi midi (Jeudi midi)
M'a prendre le métro jusqu'à Beaubien
En faisant semblant de rien
M'a arrêter au coin d'la rue pour appeler ma blonde
Là, ça va sonner un coup, deux coups, trois coups, quatre coups pis là a va répondre
Là m'a dire "comment ça va, ma blonde? Ben oui, chus r'venu"
Tous les palmiers, tous les bananiers (Aloha)
Vont pousser pareil quand je s'rai parti
Vous pourrez m'écrire ici
Soixante et sept soixante Saint-Vallier, Montréal
Soixante et sept soixante Saint-Vallier, Montréal
Soixante et sept soixante
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Tous les palmiers Lyrics as written by Robert Leger
Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), Les Éditions Bonté Divine
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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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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