"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’ve heard it all before...
so many times that i’m tired of it....
i’m sick of this...
all i asked of you...
was to be straight with me just this time....
but you could not do it...
there was so much at stake...
i put it all on the line for you...
anything for you...
all you asked of me...
you couldn't do yourself...
that's why i am saying goodbye to you...
as i go, i will show you i’ll be fine...
i don’t need you...
you don’t need me...
i’ll get by...
it's not a matter of trust...
it's just a matter of who you are...
and what you do...
you've proved your selfishness...
so many times that it's to the point...
that i am through with you...
you say you love me...
and you say you need me...
but i don’t know...
no, i don’t know...
you say there is no doubt...
you can’t live without me...
but i don’t know...
no, i don’t know...
so many times that i’m tired of it....
i’m sick of this...
all i asked of you...
was to be straight with me just this time....
but you could not do it...
there was so much at stake...
i put it all on the line for you...
anything for you...
all you asked of me...
you couldn't do yourself...
that's why i am saying goodbye to you...
as i go, i will show you i’ll be fine...
i don’t need you...
you don’t need me...
i’ll get by...
it's not a matter of trust...
it's just a matter of who you are...
and what you do...
you've proved your selfishness...
so many times that it's to the point...
that i am through with you...
you say you love me...
and you say you need me...
but i don’t know...
no, i don’t know...
you say there is no doubt...
you can’t live without me...
but i don’t know...
no, i don’t know...
Lyrics submitted by whitknee
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