"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.
Bombs going off in Sierra Leone
Taken more shots than Karl Malone
Battle looms, your doom, injustice entombed
Who got the diamonds? Who gonna find them?
Who gonna mine them, when the time comes?
Diamonds and Guns, Diamonds and Guns.
[Chorus]
It's a wicked world that we live in
It's cruel and unforgiving
It's a wicked world that we live in
It's cruel and unforgiving
Knock, knock, knock, who's that? It's Momma, son
Lookin' for the bitch who took the money and run
Now the daylight's gone and there's no more fun
And who's the fuckin' bitch who stole all the heroin?
Heroin, heroin, it's all gone
Smoked it all up, and now you got none
And now you look around and that's not the plan
This is not what you had in mind
I shot in heaven, now I cry
No one lives forever, in fact we all die
From those who bust shots to those who stuff cops
To those who serve rocks on all the hard blocks
Every last soul must pay the last toll
In the dice game of life, who gets the last roll?
Is it the one with the suit? The one with the sack?
The one who hides behind his fuckin' gun and his badge?
Negative outlook? Well that's how I'm livin'
And like he said, it's a wicked world we live in
It's a wicked world we live in
I'm wiggin out, flippin' out, hearts is what I'm rippin' out
I'm slippin' out, I'm dippin' out, killin's what I'm livin' out
Pick 'em, let me pick 'em out, spin and let me whip it out
Gat to your face with the fuckin' bullets stickin' out
Missin' out, diss and bout, blood's what you're pissin' out
84 I'm Crazy Horse, shootin' up, I'm illin' out
Rippin' out, I'm trippin' out, different now, I'm pimpin' out
Any color at my belt and ouch while they're clippin out
Criminal I'm hittin' out, in L.A. no gettin' out
2 1 3, pack your P, fly wicked style
Listen now, I'm sinnin' out, a 6-pack I'm sippin' out
[Chorus]
Yo, representin no doubt
2002 baby transplants
WHAT! HA HA HA!
Taken more shots than Karl Malone
Battle looms, your doom, injustice entombed
Who got the diamonds? Who gonna find them?
Who gonna mine them, when the time comes?
Diamonds and Guns, Diamonds and Guns.
[Chorus]
It's a wicked world that we live in
It's cruel and unforgiving
It's a wicked world that we live in
It's cruel and unforgiving
Knock, knock, knock, who's that? It's Momma, son
Lookin' for the bitch who took the money and run
Now the daylight's gone and there's no more fun
And who's the fuckin' bitch who stole all the heroin?
Heroin, heroin, it's all gone
Smoked it all up, and now you got none
And now you look around and that's not the plan
This is not what you had in mind
I shot in heaven, now I cry
No one lives forever, in fact we all die
From those who bust shots to those who stuff cops
To those who serve rocks on all the hard blocks
Every last soul must pay the last toll
In the dice game of life, who gets the last roll?
Is it the one with the suit? The one with the sack?
The one who hides behind his fuckin' gun and his badge?
Negative outlook? Well that's how I'm livin'
And like he said, it's a wicked world we live in
It's a wicked world we live in
I'm wiggin out, flippin' out, hearts is what I'm rippin' out
I'm slippin' out, I'm dippin' out, killin's what I'm livin' out
Pick 'em, let me pick 'em out, spin and let me whip it out
Gat to your face with the fuckin' bullets stickin' out
Missin' out, diss and bout, blood's what you're pissin' out
84 I'm Crazy Horse, shootin' up, I'm illin' out
Rippin' out, I'm trippin' out, different now, I'm pimpin' out
Any color at my belt and ouch while they're clippin out
Criminal I'm hittin' out, in L.A. no gettin' out
2 1 3, pack your P, fly wicked style
Listen now, I'm sinnin' out, a 6-pack I'm sippin' out
[Chorus]
Yo, representin no doubt
2002 baby transplants
WHAT! HA HA HA!
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Fast Car
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are you kidding? only 8 comments for one of my favorite songs ever? thats not cool. well, this song kicks sooo much ass i love it, and the last verse shows tims mad skills as lyricist