"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.
It's been a long time since I rock and rolled
It's been a long time since I did the stroll
Ooh let me get it back, let me get it back
Let me get it back, baby, where I come from
It's been a long time, been a long time
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time
Yes, it has
It's been a long time since The Book of Love
I can't count the tears of a life with no love
Carry me back, carry me back
Carry me back, baby, where I come from, whoa-oh-oh
It's been a long time, been a long time
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time
Oh seems so long since we walked in the moonlight
Making vows that just can't work right, oh yeah
Open your arms, opens your arms
Open your arms, baby, let love come running in, yeah
It's been a long time, been a long time
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time
Yeah-hey, yeah-hey, yeah-hey, yeah-hey
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
It's been a long time, been a long time
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time
It's been a long time since I did the stroll
Ooh let me get it back, let me get it back
Let me get it back, baby, where I come from
It's been a long time, been a long time
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time
Yes, it has
It's been a long time since The Book of Love
I can't count the tears of a life with no love
Carry me back, carry me back
Carry me back, baby, where I come from, whoa-oh-oh
It's been a long time, been a long time
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time
Oh seems so long since we walked in the moonlight
Making vows that just can't work right, oh yeah
Open your arms, opens your arms
Open your arms, baby, let love come running in, yeah
It's been a long time, been a long time
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time
Yeah-hey, yeah-hey, yeah-hey, yeah-hey
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
It's been a long time, been a long time
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time
Lyrics submitted by kevin, edited by LHGL
Rock and Roll Lyrics as written by Robert Plant Jimmy Page
Lyrics © Edition JA, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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"the only good thing about that stupid cadalliac commercial is that damn good zep song in the beginning"
@DMBgurl4141 Stupid?
This song is actually about sex, not rock and roll. "Rock and Roll" here is another word for sex.
@Philadelphia Eagles "rock and roll" always was another term for sex
This song harkens back to the rock and roll of the 1950's and the way rock and roll used to sound at that time.
i feel like this is sort of the quintessential "we're back" song. this is one of the first songs on their 4th album, and it had been over a year since their last release, which up to that point was a long time on the Zeppelin calendar. it's all about them loving their job and being glad to be back doing it, sort of like the opening count in to "The Ocean", which is the last track off their next (5th) album. they love to rock and roll, love to play to the ocean.
This song was a "Oh yeah? Well f**k you!" to the critics of Led Zeppelin's third album. The critics said that in III, Zep didn't really rock like they used to. And, yeah, the song probably has plenty of inuendo.
The drum lead in is taken directly from a Little Richard song
THis is a great song. However Dodge completly ruined it for me by playing it ALL THE TIME ON THIER DAMN TRUCK COMMERCIALS. SO now whenever i listen to it i do not think of its meanings or lyrics or anything, all i think of are damn trucks. Good job DOdge car company, u did exactly what u meant 2 do fuckers. O well, great song, though i cant listen 2 it n e more :'(
the song formed when the band became sort of upset when they were told that Led Zeppelin III wasn't really a "Rock and Roll" album, so they struck back with the song, basically saying," well, we did stray a bit from rock and roll, but were back, and were not about to quit".
This a great example of a song ruined by a commercial.
@bleach Ruined how?
Thank God we don't get Dodge/Cadillac ads here in Australia.
@Stairway-to-Kashmir What's wrong with that?