"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.
Well it seems you've got a baby girl
To a man who will not love you well
And your walkin' down Brunswick street
And you're buyin' the baby's tears with treats
'Cause you look perfect,
You look fine and you
Hold it together most of the time,
But when the baby's cryin' and you know he's lying,
He was the best lookin' boy you'd known
So you married him and made hime home
Dropped out of university
All because he said well honey you're pretty,
Yes, you are pretty but you are not fine
'Cause you've forgotten your poor little mind
And if you don't start crying,
You may never shine.
Step on out of line,
Outside the square
I dare you
To just not give a damn.
'Cause people won't understand?
Don't let them scare you.
You play boy games and he plays girl games
And every Saturday, you swap over again,
And you wonder why he "Just don't hear!".
Are you saying it loud, are you making it clear
Or are you hiding away,
Behind all those perfect things that you say?
You know that you don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be no divorcee by 23.
Well is that your best reason to stay?
You're worried about what your brothers' friends'
Mothers' might one day say?
Step on out of line,
Outside the square
I dare you
To just not give a damn.
'Cause people won't understand?
Don't let them scare you.
You really should step on out of line,
Outside the square
I dare you
To go confront your man
Help him understand these subtleties about you.
You don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be no divorcee by 23.
Well is that your best reason to stay?
Think about what your baby girl might one day say
To a man who will not love you well
And your walkin' down Brunswick street
And you're buyin' the baby's tears with treats
'Cause you look perfect,
You look fine and you
Hold it together most of the time,
But when the baby's cryin' and you know he's lying,
He was the best lookin' boy you'd known
So you married him and made hime home
Dropped out of university
All because he said well honey you're pretty,
Yes, you are pretty but you are not fine
'Cause you've forgotten your poor little mind
And if you don't start crying,
You may never shine.
Step on out of line,
Outside the square
I dare you
To just not give a damn.
'Cause people won't understand?
Don't let them scare you.
You play boy games and he plays girl games
And every Saturday, you swap over again,
And you wonder why he "Just don't hear!".
Are you saying it loud, are you making it clear
Or are you hiding away,
Behind all those perfect things that you say?
You know that you don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be no divorcee by 23.
Well is that your best reason to stay?
You're worried about what your brothers' friends'
Mothers' might one day say?
Step on out of line,
Outside the square
I dare you
To just not give a damn.
'Cause people won't understand?
Don't let them scare you.
You really should step on out of line,
Outside the square
I dare you
To go confront your man
Help him understand these subtleties about you.
You don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be,
You don't wanna be no divorcee by 23.
Well is that your best reason to stay?
Think about what your baby girl might one day say
Lyrics submitted by Diamond_Dogs
Divorcee by 23 Lyrics as written by Clare Alison L Bowditch
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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i love this song, clare's voice is so beautiful. its true about how this happens, my favourite bit is You're worried about what your brothers' friends' mothers' might one day say?, so true!