"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.
She lives in a bungalow
She kills me with rosegarden thorns
She waits for me
My love is unusual
It's painted with roses and thorns
With her I'm complete
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
Visions of Mexico seduce me
It goes to my head so carefully
Memories of candles and incense
And all of these things remember these
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She comforts me when
The candles blow out
The cake has grown mold
But the memories are sweet
The laughter's all gone
But the memories are mine
The Mexican princess
Is out of my life
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits at the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She kills me with rosegarden thorns
She waits for me
My love is unusual
It's painted with roses and thorns
With her I'm complete
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
Visions of Mexico seduce me
It goes to my head so carefully
Memories of candles and incense
And all of these things remember these
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She comforts me when
The candles blow out
The cake has grown mold
But the memories are sweet
The laughter's all gone
But the memories are mine
The Mexican princess
Is out of my life
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits at the door
She walks in the sun to me
She lives by the wall
And waits by the door
She walks in the sun to me
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The lyrics remind me of Scott's solo work. Like the depth!