"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.
Someday they'll find your small town world on a big town avenue
Gonna make you like the way they talk when they're talking to you
Gonna make you break out of your shell cause they tell you to
Gonna make you like the way they lie better than the truth
They'll tell you everything you wanted someone else to say
They're gonna break your heart, yeah
From what I've seen
You're just one more hand me down
'Cause no one's tried to give you what you need
So lay all your troubles down
I am with you now
Somebody ought to take you in, try to make you love again
Try to make you like the way they feel when they're under your skin
Never once did think they'd lie when they're holding you
You wonder why they haven't called when they said they'd call you
You start to wonder if you're ever gonna make it by
You'll start to think you were born blind
From what I've seen
You're just one more hand me down
'Cause no one's tried to give you what you need
So lay all your troubles down
I am with you now
I'm here for the hard times
The straight to your heart times
Whenever it ain't easy
You can stand up against me
And maybe rely on me
And cry on me, yeah
Oh no, no, no
Someday they'll open up your world
Shake it down on a drawing board
Do their best to change you
They still can't erase you
From what I've seen
You're just one more hand me down
'Cause no one's tried to give you what you need
So lay all your troubles down
I am with you now
Lay them down on me
Oh yeah
You're just one more hand me down
And all those knots don't give you what you need
So lay all your troubles down
On me
Gonna make you like the way they talk when they're talking to you
Gonna make you break out of your shell cause they tell you to
Gonna make you like the way they lie better than the truth
They'll tell you everything you wanted someone else to say
They're gonna break your heart, yeah
From what I've seen
You're just one more hand me down
'Cause no one's tried to give you what you need
So lay all your troubles down
I am with you now
Somebody ought to take you in, try to make you love again
Try to make you like the way they feel when they're under your skin
Never once did think they'd lie when they're holding you
You wonder why they haven't called when they said they'd call you
You start to wonder if you're ever gonna make it by
You'll start to think you were born blind
From what I've seen
You're just one more hand me down
'Cause no one's tried to give you what you need
So lay all your troubles down
I am with you now
I'm here for the hard times
The straight to your heart times
Whenever it ain't easy
You can stand up against me
And maybe rely on me
And cry on me, yeah
Oh no, no, no
Someday they'll open up your world
Shake it down on a drawing board
Do their best to change you
They still can't erase you
From what I've seen
You're just one more hand me down
'Cause no one's tried to give you what you need
So lay all your troubles down
I am with you now
Lay them down on me
Oh yeah
You're just one more hand me down
And all those knots don't give you what you need
So lay all your troubles down
On me
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Fast Car
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