"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.
Skeleton tree surrender your leaves
The summer has come and gone
It's so like the breeze just leading me here
To somehow linger on
And now I sit here praying for a helping hand
Like an alien just waiting for my ship to land
Sleeping at the end of a century
Cause new years day it's just another day
No doubt that it's the place to be
At least it's OK with me
Skeleton tree will you remember me
When all I am is fading
Like blue gone to gray I'm sorry to say
But color's overrated
And if I close my eyes I might jump disappear
Anywhere is fine just get me out of here
The summer has come and gone
It's so like the breeze just leading me here
To somehow linger on
And now I sit here praying for a helping hand
Like an alien just waiting for my ship to land
Sleeping at the end of a century
Cause new years day it's just another day
No doubt that it's the place to be
At least it's OK with me
Skeleton tree will you remember me
When all I am is fading
Like blue gone to gray I'm sorry to say
But color's overrated
And if I close my eyes I might jump disappear
Anywhere is fine just get me out of here
Lyrics submitted by BGs4ever24
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