"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.
Don’t burn your eyes out to look right through me
I only want to be your all
You’ll never want me, you walk right through me
But I still want you through this all
To maybe hold your hand
To kiss those lips again
I can’t want for anything more
Your drunken weakness became my heartache
Forgetting all the things we shared
For every empty word you said to me
I meant every word I said to you
I only want to show you proof
I was your only one for just a little while
Sobriety brought us both down but you just turned around
As I stayed firmly where I stood
Your name plays heavy on my mind
A hairline fracture through our time
I settle back as your new friend
Knowing that I’ll never be yours again
You fired the arrow fair and true
“Your eyes are cute but I don’t want you”
You can’t blame this on the drink
It clouds the brain but you still think
So please just put the blame on me
It’s easier said through my teeth
That I am happy you don’t want me
Uncomfortable now, shift further away
I only want to be your all
I only want to be your all
You’ll never want me, you walk right through me
But I still want you through this all
To maybe hold your hand
To kiss those lips again
I can’t want for anything more
Your drunken weakness became my heartache
Forgetting all the things we shared
For every empty word you said to me
I meant every word I said to you
I only want to show you proof
I was your only one for just a little while
Sobriety brought us both down but you just turned around
As I stayed firmly where I stood
Your name plays heavy on my mind
A hairline fracture through our time
I settle back as your new friend
Knowing that I’ll never be yours again
You fired the arrow fair and true
“Your eyes are cute but I don’t want you”
You can’t blame this on the drink
It clouds the brain but you still think
So please just put the blame on me
It’s easier said through my teeth
That I am happy you don’t want me
Uncomfortable now, shift further away
I only want to be your all
Lyrics submitted by xpankfrisst
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