"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.
I'm coming down, coming down like a monkey
But it's alright
Like a load on your back that you can't see
Oh, but it's alright
Try to shake it loose, cut it free
Just let it go, just get it away from me, oh
'Cause tonight, tonight, tonight,oh
I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
I'm going down, going down like a monkey
Ooh, but it's alright
Try to pick yourself up
Carry that weight that you can't see
But don't you know it's alright
It's like a helter skelter
Going down and down, round and round
But just get it away from me, oh
Because tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
We're gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
I got some money in my pocket
About ready to burn
I don't remember where I got it
I gotta get it to you
So please answer the phone
'Cause I keep calling but you're never home
What am I gonna do
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
You keep telling me I've got everything
You say I've got everything I want
You keep telling me you're gonna help me
You're gonna help me, but you don't
But now I'm in too deep
You see it's got me so that I just can't sleep
Ooh, get me out of here, please get me out of here
Just help me, I'll do anything, anything
If you'll just help me get out of here
I'm coming down, coming down like a monkey
Ooh, but it's alright
It's like a load on your back that you can't see
Ooh, don't you know that it's alright
Just try to shake it loose, cut it free
Let it go, but just get it away from me, oh
'Cause tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
Maybe we'll make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
Please get me out of here
Just someone get me out of here
Just help me I'll do anything, anything
If you'll just help get me out of here
Tonight, oh, I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
Yes, tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
Yes, I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
But it's alright
Like a load on your back that you can't see
Oh, but it's alright
Try to shake it loose, cut it free
Just let it go, just get it away from me, oh
'Cause tonight, tonight, tonight,oh
I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
I'm going down, going down like a monkey
Ooh, but it's alright
Try to pick yourself up
Carry that weight that you can't see
But don't you know it's alright
It's like a helter skelter
Going down and down, round and round
But just get it away from me, oh
Because tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
We're gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
I got some money in my pocket
About ready to burn
I don't remember where I got it
I gotta get it to you
So please answer the phone
'Cause I keep calling but you're never home
What am I gonna do
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
You keep telling me I've got everything
You say I've got everything I want
You keep telling me you're gonna help me
You're gonna help me, but you don't
But now I'm in too deep
You see it's got me so that I just can't sleep
Ooh, get me out of here, please get me out of here
Just help me, I'll do anything, anything
If you'll just help me get out of here
I'm coming down, coming down like a monkey
Ooh, but it's alright
It's like a load on your back that you can't see
Ooh, don't you know that it's alright
Just try to shake it loose, cut it free
Let it go, but just get it away from me, oh
'Cause tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
Maybe we'll make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
Please get me out of here
Just someone get me out of here
Just help me I'll do anything, anything
If you'll just help get me out of here
Tonight, oh, I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
Yes, tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
Yes, I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight, oh
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Tonight, Tonight, Tonight Lyrics as written by Phil Collins Michael Rutherford
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The line "It's like a helter skelter, going down and down, round and round" is referring to the Beatles song "Helter Skelter" as he says the same lyrics.
@pianodude that line isn't a Beatles reference; a helter skelter is a spiral slide in Britain. It is referring to sliding down a round and around.