"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.
Well I left my happy home
To see what I could find out
I left my folk and friends
With the aim to clear my mind out
Well I hit the rowdy road
And many kinds I met there
And many stories told me on the way to get there
So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
So much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out
In the end I'll know
But on the way I wonder
Through descending snow
And through the frost and thunder
I listen to the wind come howl
Telling me I have to hurry
I listen to the robin's song
Saying not to worry
So on, and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
So much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out
Well I found myself alone
Hoping someone would miss me
Thinking about my home and the last woman to kiss me
Well sometimes you have to moan
When nothing seems to suit you
But never the less you know
Your locked towards the future
So off and on you go, the seconds tick the time out
There's so much left to know and I'm on the road to find out
And I found my head one day
When I wasn't even trying
And here I have to say
Cause there is no use in lying, lying
Yes the answer lies within
So why not take a look now
Kick out the devils sin
Pickup, pickup a good book now
Yes the answer lies within
So why not take a look now
Kick out the devils sin
Pickup, pickup a good book now
Yes the answer lies within
So why not take a look now
Kick out the devils sin
Pickup, pickup a good book now
To see what I could find out
I left my folk and friends
With the aim to clear my mind out
Well I hit the rowdy road
And many kinds I met there
And many stories told me on the way to get there
So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
So much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out
In the end I'll know
But on the way I wonder
Through descending snow
And through the frost and thunder
I listen to the wind come howl
Telling me I have to hurry
I listen to the robin's song
Saying not to worry
So on, and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
So much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out
Well I found myself alone
Hoping someone would miss me
Thinking about my home and the last woman to kiss me
Well sometimes you have to moan
When nothing seems to suit you
But never the less you know
Your locked towards the future
So off and on you go, the seconds tick the time out
There's so much left to know and I'm on the road to find out
And I found my head one day
When I wasn't even trying
And here I have to say
Cause there is no use in lying, lying
Yes the answer lies within
So why not take a look now
Kick out the devils sin
Pickup, pickup a good book now
Yes the answer lies within
So why not take a look now
Kick out the devils sin
Pickup, pickup a good book now
Yes the answer lies within
So why not take a look now
Kick out the devils sin
Pickup, pickup a good book now
Lyrics submitted by BrainDamage
On the Road to Find Out Lyrics as written by Stevens
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Pretty sure the lyrics are 'Pick up THE good book now'. This was before he became Yusum Islam, so I'm not sure if he meant the Bible or the Quoran, but regardless indicative of the fact that he was spiritual. I consider myself spiritual, not religious, and don't expect that to change, but I find a lot of his music inspirational.