"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.
When the time comes it seems so strange
What a mad day, what a mad day
Got a sign you spell out to the scene
On this mad day you run out on me
And it's real
All these broken words
Only lead to adding up the plate
Got to cover every dream has a meaning too
On a mad day what a mad day
Got a ticket take you mile on mile
Oh mad day don't run out on me
And it's real
All these broken words
Only lead to adding up the plate
So get real only give to receive
Another heartache is coming
You make it so easy
You've made up your mind
So hit the ground running
You like what you find
You hit the ground running
You've made up your mind
So hit the ground running for free yeah
On this mad day you run out on me
Kind of man that sits on his feet
What mad day what a mad day
Find the time you say I'm for free
On this mad day you run out on me
And it's real
All these broken words
Only lead to adding up the plate
So get real only give to receive
Another heartache is coming
You make it so easy
You've made up your mind
So hit the ground running
You like what you find
So hit the ground running
You've made up your mind
So hit the ground running for free yeah
On this mad day you run out on me
On this mad day you run out on me
What a mad day, what a mad day
Got a sign you spell out to the scene
On this mad day you run out on me
And it's real
All these broken words
Only lead to adding up the plate
Got to cover every dream has a meaning too
On a mad day what a mad day
Got a ticket take you mile on mile
Oh mad day don't run out on me
And it's real
All these broken words
Only lead to adding up the plate
So get real only give to receive
Another heartache is coming
You make it so easy
You've made up your mind
So hit the ground running
You like what you find
You hit the ground running
You've made up your mind
So hit the ground running for free yeah
On this mad day you run out on me
Kind of man that sits on his feet
What mad day what a mad day
Find the time you say I'm for free
On this mad day you run out on me
And it's real
All these broken words
Only lead to adding up the plate
So get real only give to receive
Another heartache is coming
You make it so easy
You've made up your mind
So hit the ground running
You like what you find
So hit the ground running
You've made up your mind
So hit the ground running for free yeah
On this mad day you run out on me
On this mad day you run out on me
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Fast Car
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