"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 shone up bright like a knife
Wearing tennis shorts made of stripes
Hand in hand to the grass and we got it right
Got it nice, nice, nice
Just a glimpse of an ankle and I
React like it's 1805
And I'd swim to the poles just to find the right satellite
It'll take all of my strength to give up
But you all know I tried
So forget about it, girl
My head's like a kite
When such a creature I sight
To town
Where your feet leave no prints on the ground
Have I left my home just to whine in this microphone?
It gets worse every time that we talk
Can't afford to be just one in a flock
But that's your lot
When you're after such a well-made lock
Who was classically trained to give up
All my friends know I tried
So forget about it, girl
Even I don't know why
I can't just stay the course
Keep my hands on the wheel
Our detractors were right
My head's like a kite
'Cause all my thoughts run astray
And I'm a walking cliché
When such a creature I sight
(I can't just, I can't just) I can't just stay the course
Keep my hands on the wheel
Our detractors were right
My head's like a kite
Wearing tennis shorts made of stripes
Hand in hand to the grass and we got it right
Got it nice, nice, nice
Just a glimpse of an ankle and I
React like it's 1805
And I'd swim to the poles just to find the right satellite
It'll take all of my strength to give up
But you all know I tried
So forget about it, girl
My head's like a kite
When such a creature I sight
To town
Where your feet leave no prints on the ground
Have I left my home just to whine in this microphone?
It gets worse every time that we talk
Can't afford to be just one in a flock
But that's your lot
When you're after such a well-made lock
Who was classically trained to give up
All my friends know I tried
So forget about it, girl
Even I don't know why
I can't just stay the course
Keep my hands on the wheel
Our detractors were right
My head's like a kite
'Cause all my thoughts run astray
And I'm a walking cliché
When such a creature I sight
(I can't just, I can't just) I can't just stay the course
Keep my hands on the wheel
Our detractors were right
My head's like a kite
Lyrics submitted by doobeydoobeydude, edited by pinkredrabbits, smallwonderrobot
Turn a Square Lyrics as written by James Russell Mercer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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Great version of a great song,
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well, w/e but this song is teh awesome.