"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.
Ooo ooo
Ooo ooo
If one day you discover him
Broken down
He's lost everything
No cars, no fancy clothes
To make him who he's not
The woman at his side
Is all that he has got
Why do you ask him
Move heaven and earth
To prove his love has worth
Would he walk on the water?
Would he run through fire?
Would stand before you
When it's down to the wire?
Would he give his life up
To be all he can?
Is that
Is that
Is that
How you measure a man?
If by chance all he had to give you
Was three words wrapped around your finger
Would that be deep enough
At the end of everyday?
And how will you ever know
If the man is what he says?
Why do you ask him
Move heaven and earth
To prove his love has worth?
Would he walk on the water?
Would he run through fire?
Would he stand before you
When it's down to the wire?
Would he stand before you
When it's down to the wire?
Would he give his life up
To be all he can?
Is that
Is that
Is that
How you measure a man?
He never gives up
Let's go of his dreams
His world goes around
For his one true belief
Is that how you know?
Is that what it means?
Hey
Would he walk on the water?
Would he run through the fire?
Would he stand before you?
Will he be your anchor
When the dark unfolds?
Will he always love you
The best that he knows?
Would he give his life up
To be all he can?
Is that
Is that
Is that
How you measure a man?
How you measure a man?
Ooo ooo
If one day you discover him
Broken down
He's lost everything
No cars, no fancy clothes
To make him who he's not
The woman at his side
Is all that he has got
Why do you ask him
Move heaven and earth
To prove his love has worth
Would he walk on the water?
Would he run through fire?
Would stand before you
When it's down to the wire?
Would he give his life up
To be all he can?
Is that
Is that
Is that
How you measure a man?
If by chance all he had to give you
Was three words wrapped around your finger
Would that be deep enough
At the end of everyday?
And how will you ever know
If the man is what he says?
Why do you ask him
Move heaven and earth
To prove his love has worth?
Would he walk on the water?
Would he run through fire?
Would he stand before you
When it's down to the wire?
Would he stand before you
When it's down to the wire?
Would he give his life up
To be all he can?
Is that
Is that
Is that
How you measure a man?
He never gives up
Let's go of his dreams
His world goes around
For his one true belief
Is that how you know?
Is that what it means?
Hey
Would he walk on the water?
Would he run through the fire?
Would he stand before you?
Will he be your anchor
When the dark unfolds?
Will he always love you
The best that he knows?
Would he give his life up
To be all he can?
Is that
Is that
Is that
How you measure a man?
How you measure a man?
Lyrics submitted by phoenix7239
Measure of a Man Lyrics as written by Steve Morales Cathy Dennis
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Actually, I think the clue to the meaning is in the 5th and 6th lines. The song is talking about a man who has nothing left to give but his love, and the song's asking why the woman is demanding him to be the perfect man and sacrifice everything for her when he's standing there broken, doing the best he can.