"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.
The convoy lights are dead ahead
The merchantmen lay in their bed
The thump of diesels hammer down
In the oily sea, the killing ground
Knuckles white, eyes alight
He slams the hatch on the deadly night
A cunning fox in the chicken's lair
A hound of hell and the Devil don't care
Running silent, running deep
We are your final prayer
Warriors in secret sleep
A merchantman's nightmare
A silent death lies waiting for all of you below
Running silent, running deep
Sink into your final sleep
Chill the hearts of fighting men
In open ocean wondering when
The lethal silver fish will fly
This boat will shiver, men will die
A cast of millions, a part to play
Killer, victim, fool for the day
Obeying an order, men had to die
Us or them, a well rehearsed lie
Running silent, running deep
We are your final prayer
Warriors in secret sleep
A merchantman's nightmare
A silent death lies waiting for all of you below
Running silent, running deep
Sink into your final sleep
The lifeboats shattered, the hull is torn
The tar black smell of burning oil
On the way down to Davy Jones
Every man for himself, you're on your own
The wolf eyes watch the cross wire
'Stern tubes ready', aim and fire
They can pin some medal on your chest
Ah, in two more weeks, dead like the rest
Running silent, running deep
We are your final prayer
Warriors in secret sleep
A merchantman's nightmare
A silent death lies awaiting for all of you below
Running silent, running deep
Sink into your final sleep
Running silent, running deep
We are your final prayer
Warriors in secret sleep
A merchantman's nightmare
The merchantmen lay in their bed
The thump of diesels hammer down
In the oily sea, the killing ground
Knuckles white, eyes alight
He slams the hatch on the deadly night
A cunning fox in the chicken's lair
A hound of hell and the Devil don't care
Running silent, running deep
We are your final prayer
Warriors in secret sleep
A merchantman's nightmare
A silent death lies waiting for all of you below
Running silent, running deep
Sink into your final sleep
Chill the hearts of fighting men
In open ocean wondering when
The lethal silver fish will fly
This boat will shiver, men will die
A cast of millions, a part to play
Killer, victim, fool for the day
Obeying an order, men had to die
Us or them, a well rehearsed lie
Running silent, running deep
We are your final prayer
Warriors in secret sleep
A merchantman's nightmare
A silent death lies waiting for all of you below
Running silent, running deep
Sink into your final sleep
The lifeboats shattered, the hull is torn
The tar black smell of burning oil
On the way down to Davy Jones
Every man for himself, you're on your own
The wolf eyes watch the cross wire
'Stern tubes ready', aim and fire
They can pin some medal on your chest
Ah, in two more weeks, dead like the rest
Running silent, running deep
We are your final prayer
Warriors in secret sleep
A merchantman's nightmare
A silent death lies awaiting for all of you below
Running silent, running deep
Sink into your final sleep
Running silent, running deep
We are your final prayer
Warriors in secret sleep
A merchantman's nightmare
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