My uncle has a country place
That no one knows about
He says it used to be a farm
Before the Motor Law
And now on Sundays, I elude the eyes
And hop the turbine freight
To far outside the wire where my
White-haired uncle waits

Jump to the ground as the turbo slows
To cross the borderline
Run like the wind as excitement shivers
Up and down my spine
But down in his barn
My uncle preserved for me
An old machine
For fifty-odd years
To keep it as new
Has been his dearest dream

I strip away the old debris
That hides a shining car
A brilliant Red Barchetta
From a better vanished time
We'll fire up the willing engine
Responding with a roar
Tires spitting gravel
I commit my weekly crime

Wind
In my hair
Shifting and drifting
Mechanical music
Adrenaline surge

Well-oiled leather
Hot metal and oil
The scented country air

Sunlight on chrome
The blur of the landscape
Every nerve aware

Suddenly ahead of me
Across the mountainside
A gleaming alloy air-car
Shoots towards me two lanes wide
Oh, I spin around with shrieking tires
To run the deadly race
Go screaming through the valley
As another joins the chase

Ride like the wind
Straining the limits
Of machine and man
Laughing out loud with fear and hope
I've got a desperate plan

At the one-lane bridge
I leave the giants stranded
At the riverside
Race back to the farm
To dream with my uncle
At the fireside


Lyrics submitted by MasterDuncan03

Red Barchetta Lyrics as written by Gary Lee Weinrib Alex Zivojinovich

Lyrics © Anthem Entertainment

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Red Barchetta song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    A common theme in much of Peart's lyrics (2112, The Trees, and this gem) is a warning of what we stand to lose when we give government the power to decide & enforce the "Common Good".

    This song melds perfectly with Peart's love of motion and machines, another common theme in his lyrics and life.

    Set in a future where combustion engines have been banned by the "Motor Law", the Orwellian "Eyes" must be escaped to committ the weekly crime; speeding about in a great old sportscar from a better, vanished time.

    The song is derivative of Rand & Orwell, but I certainly mean no disrespect to Peart, as this is - in my humble- esteem - the greatest Driving Song ever recorded. I always keep it available in the CD player for when I encounter that perfect stretch of hilly, winding country road. Working the 5-speed stick with this song cranked up is nothing short of pure joy.

    Haven't seen any gleaming alloy air-cars yet, though!

    Rushianon August 20, 2007   Link

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