"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.
Up there on the platform
He is speaking to the people
The people are responding
With clapping and a'cheering
But the meaning of the message
Not revealed to those assembled
They're taken for a ride
Taken In his stride
When the Generals talk
You better listen to him
When the Generals talk
You better do what he say
There's a rumor in the ranking
Someone's talking insurrection
So the General has a purge
Cause he wants to win elections
With the certain satisfaction
That the people are appeased
Long live the revolution
The General's very pleased
Sitting on the fence both ears to the ground
The fat cats still push the thin cats around
He is speaking to the people
The people are responding
With clapping and a'cheering
But the meaning of the message
Not revealed to those assembled
They're taken for a ride
Taken In his stride
When the Generals talk
You better listen to him
When the Generals talk
You better do what he say
There's a rumor in the ranking
Someone's talking insurrection
So the General has a purge
Cause he wants to win elections
With the certain satisfaction
That the people are appeased
Long live the revolution
The General's very pleased
Sitting on the fence both ears to the ground
The fat cats still push the thin cats around
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This doesn't look like a complete set of lyrics, as the spoken part is missing. (This is where they say "We have General Motors... General Foods corporation... General Insurance... they're the worst generals of all you know!") I have to wonder if that part exists.
@quamp lyrics dont usually come with spoken parts, also there was another bit to the spoken part only found in the original studio version