"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.
Could you kiss me without whiskey?
Would you miss me without wine?
Without money, am I your honey?
Cause you break me every time
I think we’re through
I don't know what I'm supposed to do
Oh no
Take away your Tanqueray
You’d never stay, you're not much fun
Go and find yourself another
Heck, you might go get your gun
I think we’re through
I don't know what I'm supposed to do
Lordy
And it’s bang, bang, make it a double
Look out now, cause here comes trouble
Here it come
On that juice you get so loose
You got me thinking I’m the man
But it’s over when your sober
And well now I understand
That it’s not real
Yeah, I finally figured out your deal
Oh no
And it’s bang, bang, make it a double
Look out now, cause here comes trouble, yeah
Oh, take it away
It hits your lips, you swing those hips
But it’s a trick, yeah, I can see
It’s a game that you’ve been playing
We both know that it’s not me
This time I’m gone
I thought you hung the moon but I was wrong, yeah
Cause it’s bang, bang, make it a double
Look out now, cause here comes trouble, yeah
Yeah it’s bang, bang, leave on a double
Look out, world, cause here comes trouble, yeah
Oh, here come trouble
Woo
Oh, look out
Here it come
Ooo
Get along, come on
Hee aw
Would you miss me without wine?
Without money, am I your honey?
Cause you break me every time
I think we’re through
I don't know what I'm supposed to do
Oh no
Take away your Tanqueray
You’d never stay, you're not much fun
Go and find yourself another
Heck, you might go get your gun
I think we’re through
I don't know what I'm supposed to do
Lordy
And it’s bang, bang, make it a double
Look out now, cause here comes trouble
Here it come
On that juice you get so loose
You got me thinking I’m the man
But it’s over when your sober
And well now I understand
That it’s not real
Yeah, I finally figured out your deal
Oh no
And it’s bang, bang, make it a double
Look out now, cause here comes trouble, yeah
Oh, take it away
It hits your lips, you swing those hips
But it’s a trick, yeah, I can see
It’s a game that you’ve been playing
We both know that it’s not me
This time I’m gone
I thought you hung the moon but I was wrong, yeah
Cause it’s bang, bang, make it a double
Look out now, cause here comes trouble, yeah
Yeah it’s bang, bang, leave on a double
Look out, world, cause here comes trouble, yeah
Oh, here come trouble
Woo
Oh, look out
Here it come
Ooo
Get along, come on
Hee aw
Lyrics submitted by nikkus34
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Fast Car
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Yo La Tengo
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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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