"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.
Build a bridge to your mind
Takes me there every time
Lay it all on the line
There's a way
Build a bridge make a path
Overlook the aftermath
Make my tears be a bath
There's a way
Only if you take a ride
Go with me to the other side
Even though it's gonna crumble down (gonna crumble down)
I'll keep buildin' till you come around (till you come around)
Even though it's gonna fall apart and break my heart (break my heart)
I'll keep buildin' till I die
Build a bridge of memories
Stretch it out over seas
To the end of the world
If there's a way
Build a bridge made of pain
Send my longin' down the drain
Have no reasons to complain
There's a way
Only if you take a ride
Go with me to the other side
Even though it's gonna crumble down (gonna crumble down)
I'll keep buildin' till you come around (till you come around)
Even though it's gonna fall apart and break my heart (break my heart)
I'll keep buildin' till I die
Wait, wait for me
Wait, please wait for me
Wait, wait for me
Wait, please wait for me, yeah
Even though it's gonna crumble down (gonna crumble down)
I'll keep buildin' till you come around (till you come around)
Even though it's gonna fall apart and break my heart (break my heart)
I'll keep buildin' till I die
Even though it's gonna crumble down (gonna crumble down)
I'll keep buildin' till you come around (till you come around)
Even though it's gonna fall apart and break my heart (break my heart)
I'll keep buildin' till I die
Takes me there every time
Lay it all on the line
There's a way
Build a bridge make a path
Overlook the aftermath
Make my tears be a bath
There's a way
Only if you take a ride
Go with me to the other side
Even though it's gonna crumble down (gonna crumble down)
I'll keep buildin' till you come around (till you come around)
Even though it's gonna fall apart and break my heart (break my heart)
I'll keep buildin' till I die
Build a bridge of memories
Stretch it out over seas
To the end of the world
If there's a way
Build a bridge made of pain
Send my longin' down the drain
Have no reasons to complain
There's a way
Only if you take a ride
Go with me to the other side
Even though it's gonna crumble down (gonna crumble down)
I'll keep buildin' till you come around (till you come around)
Even though it's gonna fall apart and break my heart (break my heart)
I'll keep buildin' till I die
Wait, wait for me
Wait, please wait for me
Wait, wait for me
Wait, please wait for me, yeah
Even though it's gonna crumble down (gonna crumble down)
I'll keep buildin' till you come around (till you come around)
Even though it's gonna fall apart and break my heart (break my heart)
I'll keep buildin' till I die
Even though it's gonna crumble down (gonna crumble down)
I'll keep buildin' till you come around (till you come around)
Even though it's gonna fall apart and break my heart (break my heart)
I'll keep buildin' till I die
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Page
Ed Sheeran
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I agree with Der_Bulle. Its kinda like one mans obsession with this woman he knows doesnt like him back. He keeps gettin shot down but he still tries. Hes tryin to tell her to just give him a chance you never know it may become something special. But until then hes going to try and get her no matter what it takes.