"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.
Come on, come on
Yeah
Feel good don't it?
[Verse 1]
This is for warm days and drift away
While the sun sets and the ghetto's play
Long nights on a hot summer's block
When you sip yo brew, and never touch yo glock
This is for eyes, that cry like yours and mine
To smile again, rise above the pain
This is for you and your crew, the ones that's true
Will always love you, no matter what you do
[Chorus]
Cause it's the life, the life, the life
The life, the life
It's the life, the life, the life, life
It's the life, the life, the life, yo life, yo life
It's the life, your life, my life
[Verse 2]
This is for soldier's who bust they guns(bust, bust)
In the name of freedom not the game of fun
True Queens, who raise they kids
Implement the knowledge, show em how to live
This is for those who stand in line and feed their babie's(i know)
While were runnin out of time
This is for the unjustice behind bars
Our lovers, our leader's, our people(our people)
[Chorus]
[Mystic Rhyming]
Don't let em miss, miss guide you
They'll have you actin like the sun don't shine
And the sky ain't never blue
But you know and I know it's all about survival
This struggle of our people is like that unraveled
The poloticans they was never in control (never)
It's deeper then that a true battle for the soul
What they want is to bring us to our knees
So my people guard yo life by any means
[Verse 3]
This is for those who know we all gon die
Set up that way by infinite powers
Those who know the feel of chains
And the belly of the beast and of mental strain
This is for those who have they're own fallen angels
Tryna find a way on
This is for everybody (everybody)
And everybody is so life
[Chorus]
Yo, you gotta keep smilin
No matter what
Cause this is the life
What you gon do bout that, huh?
Yo, A-Plus, Hieroglyphics
Yeah
Feel good don't it?
[Verse 1]
This is for warm days and drift away
While the sun sets and the ghetto's play
Long nights on a hot summer's block
When you sip yo brew, and never touch yo glock
This is for eyes, that cry like yours and mine
To smile again, rise above the pain
This is for you and your crew, the ones that's true
Will always love you, no matter what you do
[Chorus]
Cause it's the life, the life, the life
The life, the life
It's the life, the life, the life, life
It's the life, the life, the life, yo life, yo life
It's the life, your life, my life
[Verse 2]
This is for soldier's who bust they guns(bust, bust)
In the name of freedom not the game of fun
True Queens, who raise they kids
Implement the knowledge, show em how to live
This is for those who stand in line and feed their babie's(i know)
While were runnin out of time
This is for the unjustice behind bars
Our lovers, our leader's, our people(our people)
[Chorus]
[Mystic Rhyming]
Don't let em miss, miss guide you
They'll have you actin like the sun don't shine
And the sky ain't never blue
But you know and I know it's all about survival
This struggle of our people is like that unraveled
The poloticans they was never in control (never)
It's deeper then that a true battle for the soul
What they want is to bring us to our knees
So my people guard yo life by any means
[Verse 3]
This is for those who know we all gon die
Set up that way by infinite powers
Those who know the feel of chains
And the belly of the beast and of mental strain
This is for those who have they're own fallen angels
Tryna find a way on
This is for everybody (everybody)
And everybody is so life
[Chorus]
Yo, you gotta keep smilin
No matter what
Cause this is the life
What you gon do bout that, huh?
Yo, A-Plus, Hieroglyphics
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
The Life Lyrics as written by Mandolyn Wind Ludlum Camara Yero Kambon
Lyrics © RUDE GAL, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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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