"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.
Can anyone lend me ten billion quid?
Why do you look so glum, was it something I did?
So I caused the second great depression, what can I say?
I guess I got a bit carried away
If I say I'm sorry, will you give me the money?
But you know me, the complete banker
In a black Bentley, sweet Samantha right here next to me
Oh, how I hanker for the good old days
When I was free, the complete banker
In my Armani, before the rancour and disharmony
Well money makes the world go round and round
and down the drain
We went to war on the floor of the exchange
To all of us it was just a big game
But God I loved it: making a profit from somebody's loss
I never knew exactly whose money it was
And I did not care as long as there was
Lots for me, the complete banker
In a black Bentley, sweet Samantha right here next to me
Oh, how I hanker for the good old days
When I was free, the complete banker
In my Armani, before the anger and the inquiries
Well money makes the world go round and round
and down the drain
We'll learn the lessons, run tests and analyze
We'll crunch the numbers, 'cause the numbers never lie
Well maybe this recession is a blessing in disguise
We can build a much much bigger bubble the next time
And leave the rest to clean our mess up
Well that's just me, the complete banker
In a black Bentley, Margaret Thatcher right here next to me
Oh, how I hanker for the good old days
When I was free and a complete banker
I'm a conscience free, malignant cancer on society
And one day you'll let your guard down
And I'll come 'round again
Why do you look so glum, was it something I did?
So I caused the second great depression, what can I say?
I guess I got a bit carried away
If I say I'm sorry, will you give me the money?
But you know me, the complete banker
In a black Bentley, sweet Samantha right here next to me
Oh, how I hanker for the good old days
When I was free, the complete banker
In my Armani, before the rancour and disharmony
Well money makes the world go round and round
and down the drain
We went to war on the floor of the exchange
To all of us it was just a big game
But God I loved it: making a profit from somebody's loss
I never knew exactly whose money it was
And I did not care as long as there was
Lots for me, the complete banker
In a black Bentley, sweet Samantha right here next to me
Oh, how I hanker for the good old days
When I was free, the complete banker
In my Armani, before the anger and the inquiries
Well money makes the world go round and round
and down the drain
We'll learn the lessons, run tests and analyze
We'll crunch the numbers, 'cause the numbers never lie
Well maybe this recession is a blessing in disguise
We can build a much much bigger bubble the next time
And leave the rest to clean our mess up
Well that's just me, the complete banker
In a black Bentley, Margaret Thatcher right here next to me
Oh, how I hanker for the good old days
When I was free and a complete banker
I'm a conscience free, malignant cancer on society
And one day you'll let your guard down
And I'll come 'round again
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Think I've got the lyrics down quite well, shouldn't be a lot of errors there.
As far as meaning goes,I think this song is pretty obvious. Good ol' socialist music!
Oh, and I might add: this song is without a single doubt my all-time favourite The Divine Comedy-song.
Well maybe this recession is a blessing in *disguise
To* all of us it was just a big game
I'm a* conscience free, malignant cancer on society
Thanks for correcting those bits, I've made the changes in the lyrics! :>
Well put.
One of their best songs.
"So I caused the second great depression, what can I say? I guess I got a bit carried away If I say I'm sorry, will you give me the money?"
It sums up what happened really.
Pretty sure that "ranker" should be "rancour".
I think Samantha and Margaret Thatcher are supposed to be "riding next to me," rather than "right here next to me" - he's in a black Bentley, after all. Also, the final "when I was free" sounds more like "well that was me," or at least what I'm hearing.
I could be wrong...
I think it could be referencing David Cameron, since his wife is called Samantha and obviously he is a conservative like Margaret Thatcher was and the song is about capitalists, which the conservatives could be accused of being. Just my thought on it there.