"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 said, "Life's a lot to think about sometimes
When you're living in between the lines
And all the stars are sparkling, shine everyday"
He said, "Life's so hard to move in sometimes
When it feels like I'm towin' the line
And no one even cares to ask me, why I feel this way"
And I know you feel helpless now
And I know you feel alone
That's the same road
And the same road that I'm on, yeah
He said, "Life's a lot to think about sometimes
When you keep it all between the lines
And everything I want and I want to find one of these days" yeah
But what you thought was real in life
Oh, has somehow steered you wrong
And now you just keep drivin'
Tryin' to find out where you could belong
And I know you feel helpless now
And I know you feel alone
Well that's the same road
And the same road that I'm on, yeah, yeah, yeah, hey, hey
What you thought was real in life
Has somehow steered you wrong
And now you just keep drivin'
Tryin' to find where you belong
I know you feel helpless now
And I know you feel alone
That's the same road
And the same road that I'm on, yeah, yeah, yeah, hey, hey
Oh no, no, no, no, no, no
Oh no, no, no
Oh no, no, no, no
When you're living in between the lines
And all the stars are sparkling, shine everyday"
He said, "Life's so hard to move in sometimes
When it feels like I'm towin' the line
And no one even cares to ask me, why I feel this way"
And I know you feel helpless now
And I know you feel alone
That's the same road
And the same road that I'm on, yeah
He said, "Life's a lot to think about sometimes
When you keep it all between the lines
And everything I want and I want to find one of these days" yeah
But what you thought was real in life
Oh, has somehow steered you wrong
And now you just keep drivin'
Tryin' to find out where you could belong
And I know you feel helpless now
And I know you feel alone
Well that's the same road
And the same road that I'm on, yeah, yeah, yeah, hey, hey
What you thought was real in life
Has somehow steered you wrong
And now you just keep drivin'
Tryin' to find where you belong
I know you feel helpless now
And I know you feel alone
That's the same road
And the same road that I'm on, yeah, yeah, yeah, hey, hey
Oh no, no, no, no, no, no
Oh no, no, no
Oh no, no, no, no
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I really like this song. 3 Doors Down is like a vent for me. All of those pent up feelings I have...All of it...goes away when I listen to this stuff. Good tune.