"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.
I just need to take some time off (I know)
What do you think?
Do you think we're gonna have some time coming up soon
'Cause, you know, we're tryna plan a little trip here
(I know, we need to go away) I heard about that
Don't get offended (am I invited?)
Yes, of course, you're invited
Yeah, we need some time out
Time out, time out of the city (you need some sun too)
I know I need some sun, y'all, leave me alone
Yes, we'll take a couple of days off to really heal
(You are too pale)
Nah, but we do, we need to get away
(Four or five days) sounds good to me
(We will) yeah, we need to just chill
(A week is way too long) I know, but just picture this
Just sit under the sun (just like)
Just getting some sun
Friday morning and all my work is done
I've packed my bags, I'm on the run
I got a feeling that I'm gonna have some
Fun in the sun with my friends
And he's got me going
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Sorry I can't
Sorry I can't go now
Friday noon and my boss is on the phone
He's telling me that I can't leave home
An extra hand at work is what he
Called for, he said, "We need you here"
Tell my friends I'm going
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I don't know why my job has called me in
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I don't know why my job has called me
It makes no difference if you love work or not
If you dream your weekend, hand on the doorknob
Out with your friends and fun in the sun now
That's when the phone rings
Friday evening and I'm all alone at home
I bet my friends are having fun
I'll plan my weekend, dammit, leave the machine on
Next time he calls he'll hear my voice saying loud and clear
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
With Ann and Rusty (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Tina and Yuri (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Ken and Nancy (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Lynette and Tony, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Lisa and Jimmy (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Gwen and Julie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Kimble and Josie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Tish and Michael, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Karyn and Terry (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Betta and Katie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Don and Kevin (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Ricardo and Puffy, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Come on you guys (whoops now)
(Okay, here we go, where we going?)
(Going to) Anguilla, here we come
Here we come now (I'm ready, we're with you)
To the restaurants (I'm starving, let's go)
For some lobster (oh)
And some sleeping (some sleeping?)
And some you know what else (oh, now we good)
I don't have to say it (no, what else? What we talking about?)
(What else?) Come on, tell
You know (no, we don't know like what else?)
(Well?) tell
Tiddlywinks (Tiddlywinks?)
(I thought you were talking about "you know what") yeah
What? (You know what)
I like that part too
(We there, we there, baby) okay, okay
(My girl)
Oops
What do you think?
Do you think we're gonna have some time coming up soon
'Cause, you know, we're tryna plan a little trip here
(I know, we need to go away) I heard about that
Don't get offended (am I invited?)
Yes, of course, you're invited
Yeah, we need some time out
Time out, time out of the city (you need some sun too)
I know I need some sun, y'all, leave me alone
Yes, we'll take a couple of days off to really heal
(You are too pale)
Nah, but we do, we need to get away
(Four or five days) sounds good to me
(We will) yeah, we need to just chill
(A week is way too long) I know, but just picture this
Just sit under the sun (just like)
Just getting some sun
Friday morning and all my work is done
I've packed my bags, I'm on the run
I got a feeling that I'm gonna have some
Fun in the sun with my friends
And he's got me going
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Sorry I can't
Sorry I can't go now
Friday noon and my boss is on the phone
He's telling me that I can't leave home
An extra hand at work is what he
Called for, he said, "We need you here"
Tell my friends I'm going
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I don't know why my job has called me in
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I don't know why my job has called me
It makes no difference if you love work or not
If you dream your weekend, hand on the doorknob
Out with your friends and fun in the sun now
That's when the phone rings
Friday evening and I'm all alone at home
I bet my friends are having fun
I'll plan my weekend, dammit, leave the machine on
Next time he calls he'll hear my voice saying loud and clear
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
Whoops now, sorry I can't go
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
(Whoops now, sorry I can't go) with my friends
I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends
With Ann and Rusty (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Tina and Yuri (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Ken and Nancy (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Lynette and Tony, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Lisa and Jimmy (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Gwen and Julie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Kimble and Josie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Tish and Michael, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Karyn and Terry (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Betta and Katie (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Don and Kevin (whoops now, sorry I can't go)
Ricardo and Puffy, ohh (I'm out having fun in the sun with my friends)
Come on you guys (whoops now)
(Okay, here we go, where we going?)
(Going to) Anguilla, here we come
Here we come now (I'm ready, we're with you)
To the restaurants (I'm starving, let's go)
For some lobster (oh)
And some sleeping (some sleeping?)
And some you know what else (oh, now we good)
I don't have to say it (no, what else? What we talking about?)
(What else?) Come on, tell
You know (no, we don't know like what else?)
(Well?) tell
Tiddlywinks (Tiddlywinks?)
(I thought you were talking about "you know what") yeah
What? (You know what)
I like that part too
(We there, we there, baby) okay, okay
(My girl)
Oops
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