"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.
They say it's a river, that circles the earth
A beam of light shining to the edge of the universe
It conquers all, it changes everything
They say it's a blessing, they say it's a gift
They say it's a miracle
And I believe that it is
It conquers all, but it's a mystery
Love breaks your heart
Love takes no less than everything
Love makes it hard
And it fades away so easily
In this world we've created
Where this place that we lived
In a blink of an eye the darkness slips in
Love lights the world
Unites the love that´s for eternity
Love brakes the chain
Love aches for everyone of us
Love takes the tears of pain, and it turns it in
To the beauty that remains
Look at this place
It was paradise, but now it's dying
I´ll brave the love
I´ll take, my chances that it´s not too late
Love brakes your heart
Love takes no less than everything
Love makes it hard
And fades away so easily
Oh oh oh
Love brakes the chain
Love aches for everyone of us
Love takes the tears and the pain, and turns it in
To the beauty that remains
A beam of light shining to the edge of the universe
It conquers all, it changes everything
They say it's a blessing, they say it's a gift
They say it's a miracle
And I believe that it is
It conquers all, but it's a mystery
Love breaks your heart
Love takes no less than everything
Love makes it hard
And it fades away so easily
In this world we've created
Where this place that we lived
In a blink of an eye the darkness slips in
Love lights the world
Unites the love that´s for eternity
Love brakes the chain
Love aches for everyone of us
Love takes the tears of pain, and it turns it in
To the beauty that remains
Look at this place
It was paradise, but now it's dying
I´ll brave the love
I´ll take, my chances that it´s not too late
Love brakes your heart
Love takes no less than everything
Love makes it hard
And fades away so easily
Oh oh oh
Love brakes the chain
Love aches for everyone of us
Love takes the tears and the pain, and turns it in
To the beauty that remains
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