"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.
Kid what changed your mood
You've gone all sad so I feel sad too
I think I know some things we never outgrow
You think it's wrong
I can tell you do
How can I explain
When you don't want me to
Kid my only kid
You look so small you've gone so quiet
I know you know what I'm about
I won't deny it
But you forgive though you don't understand
You've turned your head
You've dropped my hand
All my sorrow, all my blues
All my sorrow
Shut the light, go away
Full of grace, you cover your face
Kid gracious kid
Your eyes are blue but you won't cry
I know angry tears are too dear
You won't let them go
You've gone all sad so I feel sad too
I think I know some things we never outgrow
You think it's wrong
I can tell you do
How can I explain
When you don't want me to
Kid my only kid
You look so small you've gone so quiet
I know you know what I'm about
I won't deny it
But you forgive though you don't understand
You've turned your head
You've dropped my hand
All my sorrow, all my blues
All my sorrow
Shut the light, go away
Full of grace, you cover your face
Kid gracious kid
Your eyes are blue but you won't cry
I know angry tears are too dear
You won't let them go
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
Kid Lyrics as written by Christine Hynde
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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On BBC4's "Songwriters Circle" Chrisse Hynde appeared with John Cale and Nick Cave and played this song. Beforehand she explained that it is about a prostitute talking to her only child, who has just found out his Mum is a prostitute.
'Kid' Jensen my arse.
Is it about a young goat then?
Its true. I have a magazine in which she says "that was about a kid who finds out his mother's a prostitute."
@Olly Stubbs Yes - here is a video link (From "VH1 Storytellers"): youtu.be/Y9s6dt3k7_A
From the Spring 2009 issue of VenusZine:
"'Kid' is a song about a woman who is on the game to pay her way through life. It wasn't her first choice, but a sobering reality. She is saddened when her child finds out what she does to pay the bills." - Chrissie Hynde
I'd always just thought of it as a mother talking to her teenage child - negotiating the feelings of embarassment and protectiveness. I also thought the lyrics said 'you've turned your head, you've dropped MY hand', as in, you're growing up and away from me.
Interesting as to whether this song reflects a prostitute with her child recognising what she is or if it is the child of her client. In both cases the embarassment and self-loathing. In any case the tune is great.
oh shit give me a break this is my opinion is one of their best songs underrated indeed well maybe if someone actaully commented on it then it might not be so obscure :/
Even though the meaning is not clear, this is their best song. No doubt about it. It's neither for the music nor for the lyrics, it's for the feeling you get when you listen to it
this is a great song. I had some questions about the meaning of lyrics....
"some things we never outgrow" - is she talking about the shame the kid feels for his mom and how she can empathize with it and feels it herself?
Also "BUT YOU FORGIVE THOUGH YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU'VE TURNED YOUR HEAD YOU'VE DROPPED MY HAND"
is that like the kid saying "its okay" to his mom even though he is still upset and confused? I can't figure out that line to mean anything else since it seems like he does forsake her in his disappointment as implied by the other lyrics. i think it's 'Dropped MY hand'btw...
I was also wondering about the lyrics
SHUT THE LIGHT, GO AWAY FULL OF GRACE, YOU COVER YOUR FACE
I think there is no "YOU" there. and that would change it dramatically since it would be the mom telling her kid to cover his eyes because she doesnt want him to see her in her shameful state. In that respect it is like she wants to preserve his innocence and grace.
KID GRACIOUS KID YOUR EYES ARE BLUE BUT YOU WON'T CRY I KNOW ANGRY TEARS ARE TOO DEAR YOU WON'T LET THEM GO
Who is the kid angry at? At first I thought he was angry at his mom but is it more at the whole situation in general? Like that basically he discovered his mom's a prostitute? but not at his mom herself? Is he "gracious" in that he is angry but he is not expressing it because he wants to give his mom face?
this is such a great song. I love how the song is in the style of a sorta teen rock song and the solo makes me think of tears of shame falling like rain. I love how Chrissy Hynde sings the song too. It has so many layers going on.
I think this song is about a child who has been irrevocably disillusioned by the unforgivable actions of his or her parental figure. It also says the child forgives, but I don't think he does based on his persisting "angry tears."
The KID referred to in the song is David "KID" Jenson a Radio 1 DJ of the late 1970's