"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.
Shadows may hide you but also may be your grave
You're running today maybe tomorrow you'll be saved
You pray for daylight to save you for a while
You wonder if your children will face the killer's smile
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, murder's up for sale
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, where jail birds die
Face at the window leers into your own
But it's only your reflection still you tremble in your bones
How long can you hide? How long till they come?
A rat in a trap but you've got to survive
Once you were glad to be free for a while
The air tasted good and the world was your friend
Then came the day when the hard times began
Now your alone but alive for how long?
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, murder's up for sale
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, where jail birds die
A knife at your throat another body on the pile
A contract to keep and it's service with a smile
Murder for vengeance or murder for gain
Death on the streets or a blackened out jail
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, murder's up for sale
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, where jail birds die
Dead men
Gangland
Murder
Gangland tell no tales
You're running today maybe tomorrow you'll be saved
You pray for daylight to save you for a while
You wonder if your children will face the killer's smile
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, murder's up for sale
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, where jail birds die
Face at the window leers into your own
But it's only your reflection still you tremble in your bones
How long can you hide? How long till they come?
A rat in a trap but you've got to survive
Once you were glad to be free for a while
The air tasted good and the world was your friend
Then came the day when the hard times began
Now your alone but alive for how long?
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, murder's up for sale
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, where jail birds die
A knife at your throat another body on the pile
A contract to keep and it's service with a smile
Murder for vengeance or murder for gain
Death on the streets or a blackened out jail
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, murder's up for sale
Dead men, tell no tales
In Gangland, where jail birds die
Dead men
Gangland
Murder
Gangland tell no tales
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Another great song - don't know why so many people criticize it. I think the lyrics are very evocative, they really tell a story and put you in it.
Anyway, a pretty straight-forward thriller/adventure story based on Gangster films and such - just some guy on the run from the mob. Some of the books on Iron Maiden have pointed out this whole album seems to be about "escape" of one form or another, and this song certainly fits the bill.