"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.
she was gone before a start
always mending broken hearts
making others miserable, not
knowing who she's hurting
father said:"this day would be,
one for everyone to see"
is this true you'll follow suits and have
you learned a thing?
It's just a selfish way to go
it's safe to say she'll never know
for every person there's a whole
life story
waiting to be told
when she is happy it's ok
but when these people start to fade
then we'll just watch her self-destruct as she gets old
she put up defensive shields
to walk through all of life's minefieds
all defined by make-up and a car behind she's hiding
"father do you have to go,
left me questions, i don't know"
any answers or ever close the life time
lie was true
she's gonna move on with her life
and take it one heart at a time
and watch the little girl inside her
wait behind as she goes on
but with this black heart she decides
who she'll take in and shove aside
until the day she sees that everyone has gone
getting used to people leaving
thinking true love is deceiving
soon she'll know how lonely it can be.
now was it really worth the pain?
a couple pills make her feel sane
while she lives out the story
written for the part she is to play
with so much shame for her to hide
there's no more dignity, no pride
then there will only be dark in her light of day
and she will only see a reflection
of her father's rejection
nothing will change until she breaks
this life,
this life size mirror------
always mending broken hearts
making others miserable, not
knowing who she's hurting
father said:"this day would be,
one for everyone to see"
is this true you'll follow suits and have
you learned a thing?
It's just a selfish way to go
it's safe to say she'll never know
for every person there's a whole
life story
waiting to be told
when she is happy it's ok
but when these people start to fade
then we'll just watch her self-destruct as she gets old
she put up defensive shields
to walk through all of life's minefieds
all defined by make-up and a car behind she's hiding
"father do you have to go,
left me questions, i don't know"
any answers or ever close the life time
lie was true
she's gonna move on with her life
and take it one heart at a time
and watch the little girl inside her
wait behind as she goes on
but with this black heart she decides
who she'll take in and shove aside
until the day she sees that everyone has gone
getting used to people leaving
thinking true love is deceiving
soon she'll know how lonely it can be.
now was it really worth the pain?
a couple pills make her feel sane
while she lives out the story
written for the part she is to play
with so much shame for her to hide
there's no more dignity, no pride
then there will only be dark in her light of day
and she will only see a reflection
of her father's rejection
nothing will change until she breaks
this life,
this life size mirror------
Lyrics submitted by PuNkRaWkCHiC310
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