"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.
Da-da-da, da-da-da
Da-da-da, da-da-da
Let it never be said that romance is dead
'Cause there's so little else occupying my head
There is nothing I need, 'cept the function to breathe
But I'm not really fussed, doesn't matter to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Know what your doing, doing to me? (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Due to lack of interest
Tomorrow is canceled
Let the clocks be reset and the pendulums held
'Cause there's nothing at all, 'cept the space in between
Finding out what you're called, and repeating your name
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Know what your doing, doing to me? (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Could it be, could it be that you're joking with me
And you don't really see you with me?
Could it be, could it be that you're joking with me
And you don't really see you with me?
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Know what your doing, doing to me? (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Know what your doing, doing to me? (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Da-da-da, da-da-da
Let it never be said that romance is dead
'Cause there's so little else occupying my head
There is nothing I need, 'cept the function to breathe
But I'm not really fussed, doesn't matter to me
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Know what your doing, doing to me? (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Due to lack of interest
Tomorrow is canceled
Let the clocks be reset and the pendulums held
'Cause there's nothing at all, 'cept the space in between
Finding out what you're called, and repeating your name
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Know what your doing, doing to me? (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Could it be, could it be that you're joking with me
And you don't really see you with me?
Could it be, could it be that you're joking with me
And you don't really see you with me?
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Know what your doing, doing to me? (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Know what your doing, doing to me? (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Lyrics submitted by bing_redboy
Ruby Lyrics as written by Andrew Robert White Charles Richard Wilson
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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It's about a girl named Ruby, who the singer is in love with and she leads him on into thinking that she's in love with him as well...
He begins entertaining this possibility by the time we get to the bridge: "Could it be, could it be that you're joking with me And you don't really see you with me?"
Pretty straight forward and an addictive song!
lol
First! Great song, can't wait for the new album.
who is ruby? anyone know???
really good first track, hope the rest of the album is of a high quality! the meaning seems pretty obvious, he is obsessed by this 'ruby' person. it may be a metaphor or something maybe? thats the only complication i can see
well there was an awful lot of novelty songs on the last album so i guess there is a possibility this song is actually about a curry.
(think cockney rhyming slang) also if you realli look at the lyrics you can see sum lines that can b used as metaphors to back up my theory
however in all seriousness gr8 song i particularly like the bridge: Could it be could it be that you’re joking with me And you don’t really see you with me Could it be could it be that you’re joking with me And you don’t really see you with me
oh the story of my life
I can tell this song is really gonna grow on me... just like most of their songs, actually
awesome awesome awesome CHORUS
Actually, saw something on TV where Rick the lead singer said that Ruby isnt a specific person, its anyone at all.
great song. i can't wait for the kaisers' new album. employment did so well and it deserves all its success.