"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 a sad affair
When there's no one there
He calls out in the night
And it's so unfair
At least it seems that way
When you gave him his life
And all this time he's been getting you down
You ought to pick him up when there's no one around
And convince him
Just talk to him
'cause he knows in his heart you won't be home soon
He's an only child in an only room
And he's dependent on you
Oh he's dependent on you
And it seems so strange
That at the end of the day
Making love can be so good
But the Pain of birth
What is it worth
When it don't turn out the way it should
And all this time he's been getting you down
You ought to pick him up when there's no one around
And convince him
Just talk to him
'cause he knows in his heart you won't be home soon
He's an only child in an only room
And he's dependent on you
Oh, he's dependent on you
la la la la la la la, la la la la la
la la la la la la la, la la la la la
la la la la la la la, la la la la la
la la la la la la la, la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
When there's no one there
He calls out in the night
And it's so unfair
At least it seems that way
When you gave him his life
And all this time he's been getting you down
You ought to pick him up when there's no one around
And convince him
Just talk to him
'cause he knows in his heart you won't be home soon
He's an only child in an only room
And he's dependent on you
Oh he's dependent on you
And it seems so strange
That at the end of the day
Making love can be so good
But the Pain of birth
What is it worth
When it don't turn out the way it should
And all this time he's been getting you down
You ought to pick him up when there's no one around
And convince him
Just talk to him
'cause he knows in his heart you won't be home soon
He's an only child in an only room
And he's dependent on you
Oh, he's dependent on you
la la la la la la la, la la la la la
la la la la la la la, la la la la la
la la la la la la la, la la la la la
la la la la la la la, la la la la la
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
Suffer, suffer the children
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