"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.
Passed the road to your house
That you never called home
Where they turned out your lights
Though they say you'll never know
I remember running through the wet grass
Falling a step behind
Both of us never tiring
Desperately wanting
When they pumped out your guts
And filled you full of those pills
You were never quite right
Deserving all the chills
They say the worst is over
Kicked it over and ran
Then they ask what went wrong
When they turn you on again
They turn you on again
I remember running through the wet grass
Falling a step behind
Both of us never tiring
Desperately wanting
Kick them right in the face
Make them wish they weren't born
And if they bring up your name
Well they'll say you won the war
Baby burst in the world
Never given a chance
Then they ask what went wrong
When you never had it right
Well, you never had it right
Oh the letters have dropped off
Though they say you got them all
I finally figured out some things you'll never know
Take back your life
Let me inside
We'll find the door
If you care, if you care to anymore
I remember running through the wet grass
and falling a step behind
Both of us never tiring
Desperately wanting
That you never called home
Where they turned out your lights
Though they say you'll never know
I remember running through the wet grass
Falling a step behind
Both of us never tiring
Desperately wanting
When they pumped out your guts
And filled you full of those pills
You were never quite right
Deserving all the chills
They say the worst is over
Kicked it over and ran
Then they ask what went wrong
When they turn you on again
They turn you on again
I remember running through the wet grass
Falling a step behind
Both of us never tiring
Desperately wanting
Kick them right in the face
Make them wish they weren't born
And if they bring up your name
Well they'll say you won the war
Baby burst in the world
Never given a chance
Then they ask what went wrong
When you never had it right
Well, you never had it right
Oh the letters have dropped off
Though they say you got them all
I finally figured out some things you'll never know
Take back your life
Let me inside
We'll find the door
If you care, if you care to anymore
I remember running through the wet grass
and falling a step behind
Both of us never tiring
Desperately wanting
Lyrics submitted by oofus
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Kevin Griffin himself has finally cleared up the issue of whether the song is related to Kappa Sigma: it isn't.
Several people on here asserted that Kevin had explicitly stated the song was about pledging, along with nice comments like "do some freaking research." As I assumed, since no one actually included a link, research turned up nothing. However, in an LSU article yesterday Kevin is quoted dismissing the myth:
"For some reason it got out that ‘Desperately Wanting’ was about being a pledge, but the reality is it had nothing to do with that." lsu.edu/departments/gold/2011/02/ezra.shtml