"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.
The wilted flowers that I gave
Were not as nice as your bouquet
All the lyrics that I wrote
Not as smart as the words you spoke
The starlight above my hometown
Ain't as bright as the star I've found
Every drawing that I do
Is never ever as cute as you
I'm as serious as a heart attack
I'm looking in my almanac
I've gotta find out all the things,
Find out where she got her wings
Shimmy shimmy quarter turn
I feel like I will never learn
How can I check lost and found
When I'm too busy getting down
Gotta get it back to
A back up plan to find you
Start acceleration
Take it back to square one [Repeat x2]
I swear that I'm not kidding
We're just trying to fit in
With all the other answers
To questions never confirmed
States that keep us far apart
Track the beating of my heart
Mark the places in my book
With photographs we never took
I swear that I'm not kidding
The night time is so pretty
With all the stars above your eyes
I'm sneaking out and making ties
States that keep us far apart
Track the beating with a chart
Mark the rhythms that I shook
Every time I caught you look
Gotta get it back to
A back up plan to find you
Start acceleration
Take it back to square one [Repeat x4]
Were not as nice as your bouquet
All the lyrics that I wrote
Not as smart as the words you spoke
The starlight above my hometown
Ain't as bright as the star I've found
Every drawing that I do
Is never ever as cute as you
I'm as serious as a heart attack
I'm looking in my almanac
I've gotta find out all the things,
Find out where she got her wings
Shimmy shimmy quarter turn
I feel like I will never learn
How can I check lost and found
When I'm too busy getting down
Gotta get it back to
A back up plan to find you
Start acceleration
Take it back to square one [Repeat x2]
I swear that I'm not kidding
We're just trying to fit in
With all the other answers
To questions never confirmed
States that keep us far apart
Track the beating of my heart
Mark the places in my book
With photographs we never took
I swear that I'm not kidding
The night time is so pretty
With all the stars above your eyes
I'm sneaking out and making ties
States that keep us far apart
Track the beating with a chart
Mark the rhythms that I shook
Every time I caught you look
Gotta get it back to
A back up plan to find you
Start acceleration
Take it back to square one [Repeat x4]
Lyrics submitted by ticklemeemo
Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn Lyrics as written by Forrest Kline
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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Any band that has the instant message sound in their song has my complete respect.