"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.
(Truly, truly, truly, truly)
(Truly, truly, truly, truly)
Truly fuck the world for all it's worth
Every inch of planet Earth
Fuck myself, don't leave me out
Don't get involved, don't corner me
Inside, ulcer
Unjust bastards
File out, face first
Meet the lies and see what you are
It's forcing you down
And it's grinding against you
Let the war nerve break, oh
For every fucking second the pathetic media
Pisses on me and judges what I am in one paragraph
Look here, bluh, fuck you all
(Expect, expect, expect, expect)
(Expect, expect, expect, expect)
Expect the worse, you bleeding heart
But kill me first before it starts
Yes, my cock is getting hard
We are born different after all
Invite mayhem
Produce weapons
Shoot out, burn down
No CNN or media now
It's forcing you down
And it's grinding against you
Let the war nerve break, oh
All the money in the fuckin' world
Couldn't buy me a second of trust
Or one ounce of faith in anything you're about
Fuck you all
Nothing is worth the sleep that I've lost
Apologies unacceptable now
A blistered revenge awaits in me
This is fucking loveless
Hate, hate
Hate, hate
Hate, hate
Hate, hate
Hate mail
Is not read
In jail
Instead
Hate, hate
Hate, hate
Lord knows
There's worse
Ignore
It's curse
Ah, fuck you all
(Truly, truly, truly, truly)
Truly fuck the world for all it's worth
Every inch of planet Earth
Fuck myself, don't leave me out
Don't get involved, don't corner me
Inside, ulcer
Unjust bastards
File out, face first
Meet the lies and see what you are
It's forcing you down
And it's grinding against you
Let the war nerve break, oh
For every fucking second the pathetic media
Pisses on me and judges what I am in one paragraph
Look here, bluh, fuck you all
(Expect, expect, expect, expect)
(Expect, expect, expect, expect)
Expect the worse, you bleeding heart
But kill me first before it starts
Yes, my cock is getting hard
We are born different after all
Invite mayhem
Produce weapons
Shoot out, burn down
No CNN or media now
It's forcing you down
And it's grinding against you
Let the war nerve break, oh
All the money in the fuckin' world
Couldn't buy me a second of trust
Or one ounce of faith in anything you're about
Fuck you all
Nothing is worth the sleep that I've lost
Apologies unacceptable now
A blistered revenge awaits in me
This is fucking loveless
Hate, hate
Hate, hate
Hate, hate
Hate, hate
Hate mail
Is not read
In jail
Instead
Hate, hate
Hate, hate
Lord knows
There's worse
Ignore
It's curse
Ah, fuck you all
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Fast Car
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Wow i cant believe phil mentions The Lord near the end.