"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.
Lost in a lullaby
Side of the road
Melt in a memory
Slide in a solitude
Not 'til I can read by the moon
Am I going anywhere
Not 'til I can read by the moon
I blow you a kiss
It should reach you tomorrow
As it flies from the other side of the world
From my room in my fugitive motel
Somewhere in the dust bowl
Yeah it flies from the other side of the world
I'm tired, I said
You always look tired, she said
I'm admired, I said
You always look tired, she said
Not 'til I can read by the moon
I'm not going anywhere
Not 'til I can read by the moon
I blow you a kiss
It should reach you tomorrow
As it flies from the other side of the world
From my room in my fugitive motel
Somewhere in the dust bowl
Somewhere in the dust bowl
It flies from the other side of the world
The curtains stay closed
But everyone knows
You hear through the walls in this place
Cigarette holes for every lost soul
To give up the ghost in this place
Give me strength
Give me wings
Give me strength
Give me wings
I blow you a kiss
It should reach you tomorrow
Reach you tomorrow
It flies from the other side of the world
From my room in my fugitive motel
Somewhere in the dust bowl
Somewhere in the dust bowl
It flies from the other side of the world
The other side of the world
The other side of the world
(The other side of the world)
Side of the road
Melt in a memory
Slide in a solitude
Not 'til I can read by the moon
Am I going anywhere
Not 'til I can read by the moon
I blow you a kiss
It should reach you tomorrow
As it flies from the other side of the world
From my room in my fugitive motel
Somewhere in the dust bowl
Yeah it flies from the other side of the world
I'm tired, I said
You always look tired, she said
I'm admired, I said
You always look tired, she said
Not 'til I can read by the moon
I'm not going anywhere
Not 'til I can read by the moon
I blow you a kiss
It should reach you tomorrow
As it flies from the other side of the world
From my room in my fugitive motel
Somewhere in the dust bowl
Somewhere in the dust bowl
It flies from the other side of the world
The curtains stay closed
But everyone knows
You hear through the walls in this place
Cigarette holes for every lost soul
To give up the ghost in this place
Give me strength
Give me wings
Give me strength
Give me wings
I blow you a kiss
It should reach you tomorrow
Reach you tomorrow
It flies from the other side of the world
From my room in my fugitive motel
Somewhere in the dust bowl
Somewhere in the dust bowl
It flies from the other side of the world
The other side of the world
The other side of the world
(The other side of the world)
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it's one of my favorites too. i used to feel relaxed when i listened the last part. but the lyrics above.... it freaked me out too...