"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.
Ten tons against me, and you’ve gone.
I put your favorite records on.
And sit around.
It spins around.
And, you’re around again.
Struck dumb while drugs run at how-high reeds.
Cue every memory at half-speeds.
[It’s just like…]
Charles, hold-me-downs,
“I’m coming!” sounds.
Cut crap, who’s filling shoes like these anymore?
Past clumsy crushes beneath Thrill Pier.
Hopes pinned to poses honed in men’s room mirrors.
[It’s like…]
A sophomore at Brown.
She worked Lost & Found.
I put your face on her all year.
Five rows of photos when you wrote.
Of posed you, dressed blue, a backyard boat.
And, at the bottom with this quote:
[Number four…]
A Cape May address.
[North…]
Your new one I guess.
[Shore…]
“All’s well in hell and all, here’s hoping.”
She sends kisses
Some signed “With Love,
Beth
OOO XXX”
She sends kisses.
Our oldest joke,
Some signed “666.”
Our shore town knockdown sure was fun.
Yeah, white trash, what-have-you.
I fired replies back, gun by gun.
Past Seven Wrecks I’ve read four answers:
1. Your move.
2. I’m tres involved
3. Move on
4. (Love, Beth)
I walk it down.
This tourist town.
"Just thought I’d call..." s; "...just friends".
She sends kisses.
And, all at once, back doors blow open.
She sends kisses.
In envelopes, stamped with ‘Hope & Hearts’–ripped right open.
She sends kisses.
But, I’m corrupt.
I wrote back “Good luck.”
I put your favorite records on.
And sit around.
It spins around.
And, you’re around again.
Struck dumb while drugs run at how-high reeds.
Cue every memory at half-speeds.
[It’s just like…]
Charles, hold-me-downs,
“I’m coming!” sounds.
Cut crap, who’s filling shoes like these anymore?
Past clumsy crushes beneath Thrill Pier.
Hopes pinned to poses honed in men’s room mirrors.
[It’s like…]
A sophomore at Brown.
She worked Lost & Found.
I put your face on her all year.
Five rows of photos when you wrote.
Of posed you, dressed blue, a backyard boat.
And, at the bottom with this quote:
[Number four…]
A Cape May address.
[North…]
Your new one I guess.
[Shore…]
“All’s well in hell and all, here’s hoping.”
She sends kisses
Some signed “With Love,
Beth
OOO XXX”
She sends kisses.
Our oldest joke,
Some signed “666.”
Our shore town knockdown sure was fun.
Yeah, white trash, what-have-you.
I fired replies back, gun by gun.
Past Seven Wrecks I’ve read four answers:
1. Your move.
2. I’m tres involved
3. Move on
4. (Love, Beth)
I walk it down.
This tourist town.
"Just thought I’d call..." s; "...just friends".
She sends kisses.
And, all at once, back doors blow open.
She sends kisses.
In envelopes, stamped with ‘Hope & Hearts’–ripped right open.
She sends kisses.
But, I’m corrupt.
I wrote back “Good luck.”
Lyrics submitted by Jawbreaker4Fs, edited by haruki, zapzipzop
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Fast Car
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Holiday
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I Can't Go To Sleep
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Magical
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All these years and I still play this song every day.
all days
was fun yeah, white trash, what have you I fired replies back gun by gun past Seven Wrecks I read your four answers: 1. your move 2. I'm tres involved 3. move on 4. love, Beth I walk it down this tourist town 'just thought I'd' calls just friends she sends kisses and all at once back doors blow open she sends.... in envelopes stamped w/ 'Hope & Hearts' - ripped right open she sends... but I'm corrupt - I wrote back good luck
definately the best wrens song. so great. love every part of it. not a lot of people get the irony in it, yet if it's not taken that way it's beautiful. absolutely love this song. one of my favourite songs ever.
i like how ex-girl connection references this song.
Hot jam.
yeah, i like the narrative between this and ex-girl collection, and i like how charles writes in references to beth, with the hyphenated words:
"Charles, hold-me-downs" " 'I'm-coming' sounds" " 'just thought I'd' calls" and then in ex-girl collection: "she pours herself a don't-ask gin" "I think it's tell-me time..."
i don't know what to call it, but its the most brilliant instrument of lyric writing i've ever seen.
one of my favorite songs every. a story of lost love, it doesn't get any sadder than that.
favorite song of all time. period
i think i've listened to this song more than i've ever listened to any other song in my life. it's so amazingly complex and beautiful. i especially like the way the music climaxes around "hope and hearts ripped right open." song writing at it's best.
Great song. Makes me cry every time.