"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.
I remember the blood on his hands
So ashamed regretting his faults
So defenseless he came from the darkness
We spoke and had a good talk
Dark old hat reminds me of someone
I find hard to recall
Bowed his head surrendering to sorrow
Wears the face of war
Desperate cries:
(Desperate cries)
Running in circles
(Mourining in vain)
Resigning to terror
(A sinful warfare)
A sinful warfare
(Innocents die)
Lost in the faith from my fragile heart...
...From my heart
Wearing black, a bow without arrows
God, have mercy on his soul
Eyes of dread, entrenched in horror
My devotions are gone!
(Desperate cries)
Running in circles
(Mourining in vain)
Resigning to terror
(A sinful warfare)
Atrocious attack
(Atrocious attack)
My crusaders faith
Drowns in religious blood
But I'll fight till the end
Gonna find my Holy Grail
Running blind against the faith
Reason slips away
Churches falling like castles on the sand
Ends the Holy War
Have the good for bad.
(What does a man gain from his work?
Under the sun where he labors
What is so good for a man in life?
During his days he's just like a shadow
Vanitas! Vanitas! Utters the oracle
A chasing after the wind
Meaningless! Meaningless searches for wisdom
Everything is in vain like your hunting for shadows)
Lost my pride, fought in vain
Had to find reasons to my pain - Oh!
Running blind against the faith
Running blind again
Church is falling like castles on the sand
Ends the Holy War
Jesus was a man
With a heart, with a mind
With a body, with a sould
So divine as your own
God has no mind, has no heart
Has no body, has no soul and no resemblance of you.
No!
(Like chasing the wind...)
So ashamed regretting his faults
So defenseless he came from the darkness
We spoke and had a good talk
Dark old hat reminds me of someone
I find hard to recall
Bowed his head surrendering to sorrow
Wears the face of war
Desperate cries:
(Desperate cries)
Running in circles
(Mourining in vain)
Resigning to terror
(A sinful warfare)
A sinful warfare
(Innocents die)
Lost in the faith from my fragile heart...
...From my heart
Wearing black, a bow without arrows
God, have mercy on his soul
Eyes of dread, entrenched in horror
My devotions are gone!
(Desperate cries)
Running in circles
(Mourining in vain)
Resigning to terror
(A sinful warfare)
Atrocious attack
(Atrocious attack)
My crusaders faith
Drowns in religious blood
But I'll fight till the end
Gonna find my Holy Grail
Running blind against the faith
Reason slips away
Churches falling like castles on the sand
Ends the Holy War
Have the good for bad.
(What does a man gain from his work?
Under the sun where he labors
What is so good for a man in life?
During his days he's just like a shadow
Vanitas! Vanitas! Utters the oracle
A chasing after the wind
Meaningless! Meaningless searches for wisdom
Everything is in vain like your hunting for shadows)
Lost my pride, fought in vain
Had to find reasons to my pain - Oh!
Running blind against the faith
Running blind again
Church is falling like castles on the sand
Ends the Holy War
Jesus was a man
With a heart, with a mind
With a body, with a sould
So divine as your own
God has no mind, has no heart
Has no body, has no soul and no resemblance of you.
No!
(Like chasing the wind...)
Lyrics submitted by limpoman
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Fast Car
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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