"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.
You have a mythological beauty
You have the eye of someone I have seen
Outside of ordinary situations
Even outside of dreams
You lie in bed at night and watch the lines of headlights through your screen
There is a child inside you who's trying to raise a child in me
If you wanna leave
You just have to say
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
You cut the flesh of your left thumb
Using your boyfriend's knife
Seventeen, you took his cum
And you gave birth to your first life
You gave Andrew a family who you thought would love and take better care
I have an older brother I don't know
He could be anywhere
If you wanna leave
You just have to say
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
Rented a house in Niswah, Minnesota
Shrapnel and oil cans, rhubarb in the yard
I built a ladder out of metal pieces
Father was working hard
Standing beneath the oak tree by the front door
You were inside baking bread
Sister came out and put her arms around me
Blood gushing from my head
You held me in the backseat with a dishrag, soaking up blood with your eyes
I was just five and you were twenty-seven
Praying "don't let my baby die"
If you wanna leave
You just have to say
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
So much more to live your life
To walk the floor
To say goodnight
Do you leave your light on?
Do you leave your light on?
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
You have the eye of someone I have seen
Outside of ordinary situations
Even outside of dreams
You lie in bed at night and watch the lines of headlights through your screen
There is a child inside you who's trying to raise a child in me
If you wanna leave
You just have to say
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
You cut the flesh of your left thumb
Using your boyfriend's knife
Seventeen, you took his cum
And you gave birth to your first life
You gave Andrew a family who you thought would love and take better care
I have an older brother I don't know
He could be anywhere
If you wanna leave
You just have to say
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
Rented a house in Niswah, Minnesota
Shrapnel and oil cans, rhubarb in the yard
I built a ladder out of metal pieces
Father was working hard
Standing beneath the oak tree by the front door
You were inside baking bread
Sister came out and put her arms around me
Blood gushing from my head
You held me in the backseat with a dishrag, soaking up blood with your eyes
I was just five and you were twenty-seven
Praying "don't let my baby die"
If you wanna leave
You just have to say
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
So much more to live your life
To walk the floor
To say goodnight
Do you leave your light on?
Do you leave your light on?
You're all caught up inside
But you know the way
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Mythological Beauty Lyrics as written by Adrianne Lenker
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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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.
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In childhood all children’s parents are mythological figures. Beauty is in the eyes of us, and, behold these giants. Huh..wow. We don’t realize til later they’re kids too, til we reach their ages. Then we’re like, how did they? What? That’s insane!
We don’t realize the extraordinary moments. Compromises they made to make you who you are for better or other til much later. “I was just five and you were 27” but, then it went. So it went. Lights left on. Too many seven elevens, and we are thankful for all of them, ten years later. At 11 I did a swing my 6 year old sister with my hands gripping hers til I couldn’t stop spinning and she, I like to think, inexorably slipped from my grip and flung into a wooden 90’s era tv console. I had to wish and pray she’d be ok. She cried but uptighted in a second. Weirdest moment was hugging her as she was crying gently while glancing down and seeing a huge bleeding flash at the back of her skull. It was almost more disturbing that as the youngest kid she was over it and like whatever. You launched me into the wall and split my head open whatever man I’ll get over it. And she did and is the gutsiest person I know. Not cause and effect but still. She’s amazing. Off topic but when was I on topic.