"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.
it's morning two and you haven't called me
it's like a thorn burning in my side
open the blinds, but something is different, can't put my finger on it
the bright clean air makes me wanna hide
'cause now, oh now, this is how it ends
based on promises that we'll still be friends
but ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, now it's all been broken
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, you know i'd still do anything for you
where is the day you used to inspire me?
where is the time i used to depend?
on the relief of your anchor i thought i'd never need
now that it's gone, will i slip away?
so now, oh now, this is how it ends
based on promises that we'll still be friends
but ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, now it's all been broken
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, you know i'd still do anything
this is only a letter
jumbled words, no false pretense
and it's not a true confession
'cause you've cost me much more than you'll ever guess
but i'm not your fallen hero
someone who came to your defense
and when it's all done and over
i'll make it, i'll make it, i'll make it, i'll make it make sense
know it'll never be
know it'll never be
know it'll never be
know it'll never be
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, now it's all been broken
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, you know i'd throw it all away
it's like a thorn burning in my side
open the blinds, but something is different, can't put my finger on it
the bright clean air makes me wanna hide
'cause now, oh now, this is how it ends
based on promises that we'll still be friends
but ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, now it's all been broken
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, you know i'd still do anything for you
where is the day you used to inspire me?
where is the time i used to depend?
on the relief of your anchor i thought i'd never need
now that it's gone, will i slip away?
so now, oh now, this is how it ends
based on promises that we'll still be friends
but ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, now it's all been broken
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, you know i'd still do anything
this is only a letter
jumbled words, no false pretense
and it's not a true confession
'cause you've cost me much more than you'll ever guess
but i'm not your fallen hero
someone who came to your defense
and when it's all done and over
i'll make it, i'll make it, i'll make it, i'll make it make sense
know it'll never be
know it'll never be
know it'll never be
know it'll never be
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, now it's all been broken
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, i know it'll never be the same
ba da, ba da, ba ba ba da, you know i'd throw it all away
Lyrics submitted by hold2thecore
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Fast Car
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Blue
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I'd just like to say that the second verse is one of the greatest things I have ever heard. I've owned this cd for about 4 years, and I still listen to this song at least once a week.
Very true! This song is incredible.
Very true! This song is incredible.