"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.
Comme
Je suis l'homme élégant,
Pour conduire je mets les gants
Dans les bolides extravagants
De Françoise Sagan
Dans ses romans, dans ses nouvelles,
Cette dame-demoiselle mêle
De jolies mélancolies frêles
Et je chante ma ritournelle
A la gloire d'elle
"Bonjour tristesse"
"La Chamade", "La Laisse"
"De guerre lasse"
"Aimez-vous Brahms ?"
Voyez le bonheur comme il passe
Allons voir ce qui le remplace
Au Bristol Palace
Au black jack, au chemin de fer, au tour de passe-passe
Les jeunes filles un peu coquines
Que des messieurs plus âgés taquinent
Au bord de très jolies piscines
Dans les Jaguars sublimes
Et les Aston Martin
"Bonjour tristesse"
"La Chamade", "La Laisse"
"Il fait beau jour et nuit"
"Le cheval évanoui"
Que l'amour c'est du chinois,
Les dames et leurs jolis minois
Les messieurs aussi se noient
Dans le whisky, le rêve et l'alcool de noix
Il faut voir ce qu'ils endurent
Comme l'amour c'est dur
Qui laisse de profondes blessures
Dont on parle avec désinvolture
"Bonjour tristesse"
"La Chamade", "La Laisse"
"Les yeux de soie"
"Bonheur impair et passe"
Comme
Je suis l'homme élégant,
Pour conduire, je mets les gants
"Bonjour tristesse"
Je suis l'homme élégant,
Pour conduire je mets les gants
Dans les bolides extravagants
De Françoise Sagan
Dans ses romans, dans ses nouvelles,
Cette dame-demoiselle mêle
De jolies mélancolies frêles
Et je chante ma ritournelle
A la gloire d'elle
"Bonjour tristesse"
"La Chamade", "La Laisse"
"De guerre lasse"
"Aimez-vous Brahms ?"
Voyez le bonheur comme il passe
Allons voir ce qui le remplace
Au Bristol Palace
Au black jack, au chemin de fer, au tour de passe-passe
Les jeunes filles un peu coquines
Que des messieurs plus âgés taquinent
Au bord de très jolies piscines
Dans les Jaguars sublimes
Et les Aston Martin
"Bonjour tristesse"
"La Chamade", "La Laisse"
"Il fait beau jour et nuit"
"Le cheval évanoui"
Que l'amour c'est du chinois,
Les dames et leurs jolis minois
Les messieurs aussi se noient
Dans le whisky, le rêve et l'alcool de noix
Il faut voir ce qu'ils endurent
Comme l'amour c'est dur
Qui laisse de profondes blessures
Dont on parle avec désinvolture
"Bonjour tristesse"
"La Chamade", "La Laisse"
"Les yeux de soie"
"Bonheur impair et passe"
Comme
Je suis l'homme élégant,
Pour conduire, je mets les gants
"Bonjour tristesse"
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Bonjour Tristesse Lyrics as written by Alain Souchon
Lyrics © LES EDITIONS ALAIN SOUCHON
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Ebba Grön
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Holiday
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,