"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.
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain of fools
For five long years
I thought you were my man
But I found out
I'm just a link in your chain
You got me where you want me
I ain't nothin' but your fool
You treated me mean
Oh, you treated me cruel
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain of fools
Every chain has got a weak link
I might be weak, yeah
But I'll give you strength
Oh, hey
You told me to leave you alone
My father said, "Come on home"
My doctor said, "Take it easy"
Oh, but your lovin' is much too strong
I'm added to your
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chai-i-in
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain of fools, oh
One of these mornings
The chain is gonna break
But up until the day
I'm gonna take all I can take, oh yeah
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chai-i-in
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain of fools, oh
Chain, chain, chai-i-in
Chain, chain, chain, oh
Chain, chain, chai-i-in
Chain of fools, oh
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain of fools
For five long years
I thought you were my man
But I found out
I'm just a link in your chain
You got me where you want me
I ain't nothin' but your fool
You treated me mean
Oh, you treated me cruel
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain of fools
Every chain has got a weak link
I might be weak, yeah
But I'll give you strength
Oh, hey
You told me to leave you alone
My father said, "Come on home"
My doctor said, "Take it easy"
Oh, but your lovin' is much too strong
I'm added to your
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chai-i-in
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain of fools, oh
One of these mornings
The chain is gonna break
But up until the day
I'm gonna take all I can take, oh yeah
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chain
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain, chain, chai-i-in
(Chain, chain, chain)
Chain of fools, oh
Chain, chain, chai-i-in
Chain, chain, chain, oh
Chain, chain, chai-i-in
Chain of fools, oh
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I think it can be taken almost as a feminist song, since it talks about a woman who is feeding the feeling of revenge on her heart on realizing how bastard his man is. And now she is able to put him under her wings ("I might be weak child, but I'll give you strength") for trying to take everything that she wants from him, including his infidelity, until the day she can release herself from him ("One of these mornings the chain is gonna break / But up until then, yeah, I'm gonna take all I can take"). She says:"From now on your vagabond heart is exclusively a property of mine!".
She found out her boyfriend has other woman too. He is playing that game for a long time now. Still she can not just leave him because his love is so good. One day she will leave but until then she stays his fool in the chain chain chain ...
I don't think of it as a feminist song because it would fit into any relationship, regardless of gender, if you felt like the other treated you mean, treated you cruel.
Oops, I did it again. When I wrote "...a woman who is feeding the feeling of revenge on her heart on realizing how bastard his man is.", of course I meant "on realizing how bastard her man is.".