"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.
Drawing a line
A ship in a harbor
Yes I will go
I'll be going there soon
A blue map of Cornwall
Up on a bedroom wall
Drawing a line
I'll be following soon
But how do I follow?
What road to be choosing?
Do I follow the star
Or the gypsy king?
I recall when I was younger
There was a fire
To travel the world
And shine with a passion
But as ambition shoots blank
Day by Day
On a train from Edinburgh
To the Kings Cross rain
I see a small house
Built on the sea
I could live there alone
With a horse and a ukulele
But how do I get there?
What road to be choosing?
When the seasons so high
For losing
How do I follow
What road to be choosing?
Do I follow the star
Or the Gypsy King?
A ship in a harbor
Yes I will go
I'll be going there soon
A blue map of Cornwall
Up on a bedroom wall
Drawing a line
I'll be following soon
But how do I follow?
What road to be choosing?
Do I follow the star
Or the gypsy king?
I recall when I was younger
There was a fire
To travel the world
And shine with a passion
But as ambition shoots blank
Day by Day
On a train from Edinburgh
To the Kings Cross rain
I see a small house
Built on the sea
I could live there alone
With a horse and a ukulele
But how do I get there?
What road to be choosing?
When the seasons so high
For losing
How do I follow
What road to be choosing?
Do I follow the star
Or the Gypsy King?
Lyrics submitted by timeforheroes
The Gypsy King Lyrics as written by Patrick Wolf
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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la la love patrick wolf damnit!
I found out in an interview that this song was written on a train - can really see that in the imagery. And that outro with the microphone being held out the window to record roadworks is brilliant :)
Oh my god. I love this song. I really have no idea why, but it is so incredibly beautiful.
The Gypsy King and Demolition are in competition for my favorite Patrick song. such an amazing track.
I can relate to this song so much at the moment... the line "I could live there alone with a horse and a ukulele" gets me every time.
The only thing to figure out is whether I follow the star or the gypsy king!
I can relate to this song so much at the moment... the line "I could live there alone with a horse and a ukulele" gets me every time.
The only thing to figure out is whether I follow the star or the gypsy king!