Cars and Girls

That comment at the end of the last entry earlier sent me back to listen to Prefab Sprout tonight. Specifically their terrific record 'From Langley Park to Memphis' which includes The King of Rock and Roll, I Remember That and, best of all, Cars and Girls.

"Brucie dreams life's a highway, too many roads bypass my way"

I remember when this came out in the summer of '88 I didn't get what he was singing about at all. I had just seen Springsteen for the first time (but not the last) and didn't really understand the lyric apart from thinking that it wasn't very complimentary. Later I came to realise that the things Paddy was singing about were the same things Springsteen was - uncertainty, loss, love, dreams, faith, etc.

"But look at us now, quit driving, some things hurt more much more than cars and girls.
Just look at us now, start counting, what adds up the way it did when we were young?"

Anyway it's a great song and Prefab Sprout were, are, and will remain, a fantastic band. I always loved the sleeve artwork from the single too. Guess that's not what he had in mind when he wrote 'I'm on Fire'..