"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.
Levon bears his war wound like a crown
He calls his child Jesus 'cause he likes the name
And he sends him to the finest school in town
Levon, Levon likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spends his days counting
In a garage by the motorway
He was born a pauper
To a pawn on a Christmas day
When the New York Times
Said God is dead and the war's begun
Alvin Tostig has a son today
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Levon
Levon sells cartoon balloons in town
His family business thrives
Jesus blows up balloons all day
Sits on the porch swing watching them fly
And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus
Leave Levon far behind
Take a balloon and go sailing
While Levon, Levon slowly dies
He was born a pauper
To a pawn on a Christmas day
When the New York Times
Said God is dead and the war's begun
Alvin Tostig has a son today
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan, woo
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Levon
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan, woo
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Levon
He calls his child Jesus 'cause he likes the name
And he sends him to the finest school in town
Levon, Levon likes his money
He makes a lot they say
Spends his days counting
In a garage by the motorway
He was born a pauper
To a pawn on a Christmas day
When the New York Times
Said God is dead and the war's begun
Alvin Tostig has a son today
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Levon
Levon sells cartoon balloons in town
His family business thrives
Jesus blows up balloons all day
Sits on the porch swing watching them fly
And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus
Leave Levon far behind
Take a balloon and go sailing
While Levon, Levon slowly dies
He was born a pauper
To a pawn on a Christmas day
When the New York Times
Said God is dead and the war's begun
Alvin Tostig has a son today
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan, woo
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Levon
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
And he shall be Levon
In tradition with the family plan, woo
And he shall be Levon
And he shall be a good man
He shall be Levon
Lyrics submitted by kevlar_soul
Levon Lyrics as written by Bernard Taupin Elton John
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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Alvin Levon Tostig born sometime around 1934? Served in Korea (1950-1953), wounded.
Young man, saw horrors, killed other young men. He was badly wounded himself, prays: “Please God, save me. I will be a good man. Please God. Don’t let me die.” And he makes it home. Alvin wants to put all that trauma behind him. He starts to use his middle name (or changes his name). Because Levon is derived from Hebrew, meaning “heart”. The biblical Levon is a wise and just leader. (Unlike the men who sent Alvin to war, when Alvin was just a pawn in their military schemes.) “Wears his war wound like a crown,” like the biblical Jesus.
(this bit is about Alvin) And he shall be Levon And he shall be a good man And he shall be Levon In tradition with the family plan And he shall be Levon And he shall be a good man He shall be Levon
Jesus Tostig born c 1955? Alvin/Levon has been home for a while.
(this bit is about Jesus ) He was born a pauper to a pawn on a Christmas day When the New York Times said "God is dead And the War's begun" Alvin Tostig has a son today
(“God is Dead” headline 1/9/66 LBJ escalates Vietnam war 1963-1969) . When Jesus is born, Levon is overcome with love for this innocent infant, pure and undamaged as Levon himself was before the war. Jesus is a pauper, because Levon is painfully poor. But Levon pores his soul into making money to provide for his son.
"Up Up and Away" released July 1967: The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky For we can fly (we can fly) Love is waiting there in my beautiful balloon Way up in the air in my beautiful balloon If you'll hold my hand we'll chase your dream across the sky For we can fly (we can fly)
Jesus hears the music of the times, thinks about leaving. He’s blowing up balloons on the porch and singing along with the 5th Dimension.
Levon has PTSD. Tries to be a good man. Tries to be a good family man. Knows he has to provide for his kid. But he probably bursts out with aggression and hostility that Jesus cannot understand. Levon works hard to be in a neighborhood where the middle class white kids go to a good school (the best, thinks Levon), not the inner city schools that are less likely to have good opportunities for Jesus.
Like most kids, Jesus doesn’t understand his father. Resents the choices his dad makes. Jesus dreams of leaving all of it. Levon will die…eventually.
Elton John released “Levon” November 29, 1971. Bernie Taupin wrote it, therefore, no later than sometime in 1971. The song was influenced by everything that happened politically, musically, emotionally. I’ve just pulled up a few examples and ideas.