"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.
Some summers in the evening after 6 or so
I walk on down the hill
And maybe buy a beer
I think about my friends
Sometimes I wish they lived out here
But they wouldn't dig this town
No they wouldn't dig this town
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
Alice, the world is full of ugly things
That you can't change
Pretend it's not that way
It's my idea of faith
You can blow it off
And say there's good in nearly everyone
Just give them all a chance
Now let's give them all a chance
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
No it didn't work out
No it didn't work out the way we thought it would
No it didn't work out
An arranged marriage is not so good
Thank God it's you
Ya know, your timing is impeccable
I'm not fooling you
I don't know what to do
Some dude just knocked me cold
And left me on the sidewalk
Took everything I had
Everything I had
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
It's getting late where you are, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
Anymore, no not anymore
I walk on down the hill
And maybe buy a beer
I think about my friends
Sometimes I wish they lived out here
But they wouldn't dig this town
No they wouldn't dig this town
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
Alice, the world is full of ugly things
That you can't change
Pretend it's not that way
It's my idea of faith
You can blow it off
And say there's good in nearly everyone
Just give them all a chance
Now let's give them all a chance
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
No it didn't work out
No it didn't work out the way we thought it would
No it didn't work out
An arranged marriage is not so good
Thank God it's you
Ya know, your timing is impeccable
I'm not fooling you
I don't know what to do
Some dude just knocked me cold
And left me on the sidewalk
Took everything I had
Everything I had
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
It's getting late where you are, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
Anymore, no not anymore
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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there's a book (maybe its a play too) called "A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich" written by Alice Childress...but that's all I know about it