"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.
Take me across the water cause I need some place to hide
I done the rancher's daughter and I sure did hurt his pride
Haha
Well, there's a hundred miles of desert lies between his hide and mine
I don't need no food and no water, Lord, cause I'm runnin' out of time
Fightin', killin', wine and women gonna put me to my grave
Runnin', hidin', losin', cryin', nothing left to save
But my life
Stood on a ridge and shunned religion, thinking the world was mine
I made my break and a big mistake, stealin' when I should have been buyin'
All that fightin', killin', wine and those women gonna put me to an early grave
Runnin', hidin', losin', cryin', nothing left to save
But my life, life, life, life, life, life, life, life, life
So I stood on a ridge and shunned religion, thinking the world was mine
I made my break and a big mistake, stealin' when I should have been buyin'
I was stealin' when I should have been buyin'
I was stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin' woo
Stealin' hahaha, yeh
I was stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin', oh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh
Stealin', oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Stealin', rock'n'roll, all right
Stealin', rock'n'roll, all right
Stealin' babe, babe
Stealin', should, should, should have been buyin'
Stealin', should, should, should have been buyin'
Stealin', should have, should have, should have been buyin'
Stealin', buying, yeah
I done the rancher's daughter and I sure did hurt his pride
Haha
Well, there's a hundred miles of desert lies between his hide and mine
I don't need no food and no water, Lord, cause I'm runnin' out of time
Fightin', killin', wine and women gonna put me to my grave
Runnin', hidin', losin', cryin', nothing left to save
But my life
Stood on a ridge and shunned religion, thinking the world was mine
I made my break and a big mistake, stealin' when I should have been buyin'
All that fightin', killin', wine and those women gonna put me to an early grave
Runnin', hidin', losin', cryin', nothing left to save
But my life, life, life, life, life, life, life, life, life
So I stood on a ridge and shunned religion, thinking the world was mine
I made my break and a big mistake, stealin' when I should have been buyin'
I was stealin' when I should have been buyin'
I was stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin' woo
Stealin' hahaha, yeh
I was stealin' when I should have been buyin'
Stealin', oh yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh
Stealin', oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo
Stealin', rock'n'roll, all right
Stealin', rock'n'roll, all right
Stealin' babe, babe
Stealin', should, should, should have been buyin'
Stealin', should, should, should have been buyin'
Stealin', should have, should have, should have been buyin'
Stealin', buying, yeah
Lyrics submitted by RainbowDemon, edited by LynxSD, 3d1mandakng
Stealin' Lyrics as written by Ken Hensley
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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I don't think its as literal as you think it is Floyd fan.
I think its more about a man who cut corners all his life (as in stealing something instead of buying it) and then later came to regret it
Good song to sing in a jail cell
Ummagum, I have heard this song on the radio but very seldom.
This is one of those rare gems that you might hear (if you're lucky) about once every five years on the radio. Like "Free Four" by Pink Floyd, and "The Core" by Eric Clapton.
Did they watch a lot of American Westerns? Seems like the point of view from a frontier Outlaw.
Great band, great song. Definitely about someone who sort of took the easy way out in life all along and is just now feeling the repercussions.
I'm very surprised that noone has posted anything about this clasic.
I love Uriah Heep. This song rocks :D
It's about a man that is never liked by people, and once decided that he should start stealin'.
Yeah, i guess you're right.
doobs is right. I agree the same on what it is about.