"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 should have stayed in bed today
I couldn't think of a positive thing to say
My friends all hate me now
I was selfish and realize now
I have it a little time
I thought about it a while
Ask to forgive and forget
Crack a joke and a smile
It's hard to say you're sorry
When you know that you were wrong
The weight of hurting words
We often carry on
The annoying things I don't mind so much anymore
I've learned to tolerate the annoying four
I won't let the sun go down
When I've made a mistake
I'd make right what I've wronged
And give more that I take
I couldn't think of a positive thing to say
My friends all hate me now
I was selfish and realize now
I have it a little time
I thought about it a while
Ask to forgive and forget
Crack a joke and a smile
It's hard to say you're sorry
When you know that you were wrong
The weight of hurting words
We often carry on
The annoying things I don't mind so much anymore
I've learned to tolerate the annoying four
I won't let the sun go down
When I've made a mistake
I'd make right what I've wronged
And give more that I take
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"I've learned to tolerate the annoying four" .. ha, that reminds me of my four best friends who smoke weed every single day of their lives and it's all they talk about .. I was annoyed at first, but now I can tolerate it .. cause I do it too, just not every day .. it hasn't consumed my life.... and they got mad at me for teasing them and they learned to apologize even though it was hard cause they knew I was right....