"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.
Jump back, what's that sound?
Here she comes, full blast and top down
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
Model citizen, zero discipline
Don't you know she's coming home with me?
You'll lose her in the turn
I'll get her
Panama, Panama
Panama, Panama
Ain't nothin' like it, her shiny machine
Got the feel for the wheel, keep the moving parts clean
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
Got an on-ramp comin' through my bedroom
Don't you know she's coming home with me?
You'll lose her in the turn
I'll get her
Uh-oh
Panama, Panama (wow)
Panama, Panama (whoa)
Yeah, we're runnin' a little bit hot tonight
I can barely see the road from the heat comin' off of it
Ah, I reach down between my legs
Ease the seat back
She's blinding, I'm flying
Right behind the rear-view mirror now
Got the feeling, power steering
Pistons popping, ain't no stopping now
Panama, Panama
Panama, Panama
Panama, Panama
Panama
Here she comes, full blast and top down
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
Model citizen, zero discipline
Don't you know she's coming home with me?
You'll lose her in the turn
I'll get her
Panama, Panama
Panama, Panama
Ain't nothin' like it, her shiny machine
Got the feel for the wheel, keep the moving parts clean
Hot shoe, burnin' down the avenue
Got an on-ramp comin' through my bedroom
Don't you know she's coming home with me?
You'll lose her in the turn
I'll get her
Uh-oh
Panama, Panama (wow)
Panama, Panama (whoa)
Yeah, we're runnin' a little bit hot tonight
I can barely see the road from the heat comin' off of it
Ah, I reach down between my legs
Ease the seat back
She's blinding, I'm flying
Right behind the rear-view mirror now
Got the feeling, power steering
Pistons popping, ain't no stopping now
Panama, Panama
Panama, Panama
Panama, Panama
Panama
Lyrics submitted by Boonechic_21
Panama Lyrics as written by Edward Van Halen Alex Van Halen
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I always thought this was about street racing, betting the car on the result, "Don't you know she's coming home with me?" meaning that he's going to get the other guy's car.