"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.
Put on my blue suede shoes
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain
W.C. Handy- won't you look down over me
Yeah, I got a first class ticket
But I'm as blue as a girl can be
Then I'm walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet
Ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel
Saw the ghost of Elvis on Union Avenue
Followed him up to the gates of Graceland
And watched him walk right through
Now security, they did not see him
They just hovered around his tomb
But there's a pretty little thing
Waiting for the king down in the jungle room
When I was walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet
Ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel
Chorus:
Walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet
Ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel
They got catfish on the table
They got gospel in the air
And Rev. Green be glad to see you
When you haven't got a prayer
But boy you've got a prayer in Memphis
Now Gabriel plays piano
Every Friday at the "Hollywood"
And they brought me down to see him
They asked me if I would
Do a little number
And I sang with all my might
He said: "tell me are you a Christian, child?"
And I said: "man I am tonight"
(chorus)(repeat)
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain
W.C. Handy- won't you look down over me
Yeah, I got a first class ticket
But I'm as blue as a girl can be
Then I'm walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet
Ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel
Saw the ghost of Elvis on Union Avenue
Followed him up to the gates of Graceland
And watched him walk right through
Now security, they did not see him
They just hovered around his tomb
But there's a pretty little thing
Waiting for the king down in the jungle room
When I was walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet
Ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel
Chorus:
Walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet
Ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel
They got catfish on the table
They got gospel in the air
And Rev. Green be glad to see you
When you haven't got a prayer
But boy you've got a prayer in Memphis
Now Gabriel plays piano
Every Friday at the "Hollywood"
And they brought me down to see him
They asked me if I would
Do a little number
And I sang with all my might
He said: "tell me are you a Christian, child?"
And I said: "man I am tonight"
(chorus)(repeat)
Lyrics submitted by Rider_of_the_Sun
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Fast Car
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I love this song. It makes me happy 'cause it reminds me of my sister and just good times I've had with people. I think some lyrics are wrong though...but that's okay. I'm not a real spiritual person but this song just really speaks to me, I guess.