"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.
It's just a matter of attitude
What I'm going to talk about
You may not believe it
But you have the right to doubt
You think you are a made man
Who knows the mighty truth
Who reached what so many
Never reached in their youth
You spread garbage on the street
You break bottles on the ground
Thinking you already know
All that in life can be found
You think you are a made man
Who knows the mighty truth
Who reached what so many
Never reached in their youth
I'm not here to preach on you
Or tell you what things to do
I just try to make you understand
There's so many things to live for... "man"
In the beginning I am
Trying just to be a better man
In the beginning I am
See what you are and take a stand
Doesn's matter if you're young
Not even if you're old
You'll never but never know
All that's going in this world
In... the... beginning... I... am
From this you'll reach a better day
From a child to man you'll find the way
Seeing how much we can do
To live a life that's passing through you
You'll see to many times
Different truths in just one life
I'm not here to preach on you
Or tell you what things to do
I just try to make you understand
There's so many things to live for... "man"
In the beginning I am
Trying just to be a better man
In the beginning I am
See what you are and take a stand
What I'm going to talk about
You may not believe it
But you have the right to doubt
You think you are a made man
Who knows the mighty truth
Who reached what so many
Never reached in their youth
You spread garbage on the street
You break bottles on the ground
Thinking you already know
All that in life can be found
You think you are a made man
Who knows the mighty truth
Who reached what so many
Never reached in their youth
I'm not here to preach on you
Or tell you what things to do
I just try to make you understand
There's so many things to live for... "man"
In the beginning I am
Trying just to be a better man
In the beginning I am
See what you are and take a stand
Doesn's matter if you're young
Not even if you're old
You'll never but never know
All that's going in this world
In... the... beginning... I... am
From this you'll reach a better day
From a child to man you'll find the way
Seeing how much we can do
To live a life that's passing through you
You'll see to many times
Different truths in just one life
I'm not here to preach on you
Or tell you what things to do
I just try to make you understand
There's so many things to live for... "man"
In the beginning I am
Trying just to be a better man
In the beginning I am
See what you are and take a stand
Lyrics submitted by ruben
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