"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.
Once my lover, now my friend
What a cruel thing to pretend
What a cunning way to condescend
Once my lover, and now my friend
Oh, you creep up like the clouds
And you set my soul at ease
Then you let your love abound
And you bring me to my knees
Oh, its evil, babe
The way you let your grace enrapture me
When well you know I'd be insane
To ever let that dirty game recapture me
You made me a shadowboxer, baby
I wanna be ready for what you do
I been swinging around me
'Cause I don't know when you're gonna make your move
Oh, your gaze is dangerous
And you fill your space so sweet
If I let you get too close
You'll set your spell on me
So darlin', I just wanna say
Just in case I don't come through
I was on to every play
I just wanted you
But oh, it's so evil, my love
The way you've no reverence to my concern
So I'll be sure to stay wary of you, love
To save the pain of
Once my flame and twice my burn
So I'm a shadowboxer, baby
I wanna be ready for what you do
I been swinging around enough and
I don't know when you're gonna make your move
Yeah, I'm a shadowboxer, baby
I wanna be ready for what you do
And I been swinging around
Because I don't know when you'll make your move...
What a cruel thing to pretend
What a cunning way to condescend
Once my lover, and now my friend
Oh, you creep up like the clouds
And you set my soul at ease
Then you let your love abound
And you bring me to my knees
Oh, its evil, babe
The way you let your grace enrapture me
When well you know I'd be insane
To ever let that dirty game recapture me
You made me a shadowboxer, baby
I wanna be ready for what you do
I been swinging around me
'Cause I don't know when you're gonna make your move
Oh, your gaze is dangerous
And you fill your space so sweet
If I let you get too close
You'll set your spell on me
So darlin', I just wanna say
Just in case I don't come through
I was on to every play
I just wanted you
But oh, it's so evil, my love
The way you've no reverence to my concern
So I'll be sure to stay wary of you, love
To save the pain of
Once my flame and twice my burn
So I'm a shadowboxer, baby
I wanna be ready for what you do
I been swinging around enough and
I don't know when you're gonna make your move
Yeah, I'm a shadowboxer, baby
I wanna be ready for what you do
And I been swinging around
Because I don't know when you'll make your move...
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I REALLY love her voice in this... just WOW