"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.
This is Tiger the Lion
Gimme the Knuckles of Frisco
If there's danger in the language,
Gentlemen,
I suggest no further use of
The two-way radio.
'John Cage had come to feel
That art in our time
Was far less important
Than our daily lives,
To which so many'd become
More or less inclined.
The purpose of it's not unique.
Not to build masterpieces
For a delectative elite
But simply to wake to your life.'
You'll be serving the song
When you find out you won't change
Serving the song
Walking the range.
'John Cage had come to feel
Art in our time
Was much less important
Than our daily life
If there's a perpetual plan
For discovery days
Where everyone can take part
In what he called
Purposeless play
And there's a sign of life in this play
Not to get order from chaos
Tell you how to create
But simply to wake to your life.'
You'll be serving the song
When we find out you won't change
Serving the song
Bombing the range
This is Tiger the Lion
Get me Into the Pillows
If you're painted by radar, gentlemen,
There'll be no further use of
The two-way radio
Gimme the Knuckles of Frisco
If there's danger in the language,
Gentlemen,
I suggest no further use of
The two-way radio.
'John Cage had come to feel
That art in our time
Was far less important
Than our daily lives,
To which so many'd become
More or less inclined.
The purpose of it's not unique.
Not to build masterpieces
For a delectative elite
But simply to wake to your life.'
You'll be serving the song
When you find out you won't change
Serving the song
Walking the range.
'John Cage had come to feel
Art in our time
Was much less important
Than our daily life
If there's a perpetual plan
For discovery days
Where everyone can take part
In what he called
Purposeless play
And there's a sign of life in this play
Not to get order from chaos
Tell you how to create
But simply to wake to your life.'
You'll be serving the song
When we find out you won't change
Serving the song
Bombing the range
This is Tiger the Lion
Get me Into the Pillows
If you're painted by radar, gentlemen,
There'll be no further use of
The two-way radio
Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death
Tiger the Lion Lyrics as written by Johnny Fay Gordon Downie
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Nobody commented on this? Awesome song. Can't claim to be too familiar with John Cage, but the way Downie sings on this track is quite disturbing, and it's gotta be the hardest song I've ever heard from The Hip.