"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.
Oh, mm
I sat outside your house today
Just thinkin' you'll never hurt
It's like the time I packed your things
And dropped 'em off where you were
I know you love to wash your car
So I left it in the lake
They say the strongest part of love is called hate
(Do you feel like I should)
Sit around with your touch
And your smell on my couch
And your hair in my brush
I loved you too much
(Do you think that I should)
Move along, change my phone
Get it on, I'll be gone
Treat him wrong 'til the day
That someone loves me the same way
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
I knew I heard it in your voice
Something was wrong with the day
I feel I didn't have the choice
My heart was not in the way
Found out that I'm up in the cut
Some chick was wearing my face
You're lucky I'm in a good mood
Or she'll lay
Do you know how it feels
Sittin' around, smellin' sheets
Feelin' down, watchin' Heat
But my friends where you been
I'm with her again
Do you think that it's cool
To act a fool inside my house
I put you out, you come back in
We fight again, nobody wins
And baby, you should know that this is it
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
(Go, go, go, go, go)
Oh, oh (go, go, go, go, go)
Hey, ooh, yeah (go, go, go, go, go)
Ooh, ooh, oh (go, go, go, go, go)
Sometimes you can't let go
Even when your heart says so
I have to let you see
Your love could never be
You're in love with me you see
Can't let you, just don't need
I tried to love you still
I now know how it feels
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
How am I supposed to feel? (go, go, go)
(It says go, go, go)
I know you're no good for me (oh, oh, oh)
(Go, go, go, go)
I must cite these lonely nights (go, go, go)
(Beggin' you to do me right)
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
I sat outside your house today
Just thinkin' you'll never hurt
It's like the time I packed your things
And dropped 'em off where you were
I know you love to wash your car
So I left it in the lake
They say the strongest part of love is called hate
(Do you feel like I should)
Sit around with your touch
And your smell on my couch
And your hair in my brush
I loved you too much
(Do you think that I should)
Move along, change my phone
Get it on, I'll be gone
Treat him wrong 'til the day
That someone loves me the same way
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
I knew I heard it in your voice
Something was wrong with the day
I feel I didn't have the choice
My heart was not in the way
Found out that I'm up in the cut
Some chick was wearing my face
You're lucky I'm in a good mood
Or she'll lay
Do you know how it feels
Sittin' around, smellin' sheets
Feelin' down, watchin' Heat
But my friends where you been
I'm with her again
Do you think that it's cool
To act a fool inside my house
I put you out, you come back in
We fight again, nobody wins
And baby, you should know that this is it
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
(Go, go, go, go, go)
Oh, oh (go, go, go, go, go)
Hey, ooh, yeah (go, go, go, go, go)
Ooh, ooh, oh (go, go, go, go, go)
Sometimes you can't let go
Even when your heart says so
I have to let you see
Your love could never be
You're in love with me you see
Can't let you, just don't need
I tried to love you still
I now know how it feels
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
How am I supposed to feel? (go, go, go)
(It says go, go, go)
I know you're no good for me (oh, oh, oh)
(Go, go, go, go)
I must cite these lonely nights (go, go, go)
(Beggin' you to do me right)
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
How am I supposed to feel?
What exactly should I do?
I know you're no good for me
Yet and still I'm lovin' you
I must cite these lonely nights
Beggin' you to do me right
This time, I just don't know
Heart says stay, mind says go
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