"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.
When I'm lyin' in my bed at night
I don't want to grow up
Nothing ever seems to turn out right
I don't want to grow up
How do you move in a world of fog that's
Always changing things
Makes wish that I could be a dog
When I see the price that you pay
I don't want to grow up
I don't ever want to be that way
I don't want to grow up
Seems that folks turn into things
That they never want
The only thing to live for is today...
I'm gonna put a hole in my T.V. set
I don't want to grow up
Open up the medicine chest
I don't want to grow up
I don't want to have to shout it out
I don't want my hair to fall out
I don't want to be filled with doubt
I don't want to be a good boy scout
I don't want to have to learn to count
I don't want to have the biggest amount
I don't want to grow up
Well when I see my parents fight
I don't want to grow up
They all go out and drinkin' all night
I don't want to grow up
I'd rather stay here in my room
Nothin' out there but sad and gloom
I don't want to live in a big old tomb on
Grand street
When I see the 5 o'clock news
I don't want to grow up
Comb their hair and shine their shoes
I don't want to grow up
Stay around in my old hometown
I don't want to put no money down
I don't want to get a big old loan
Work them fingers to the bone
I don't want to float on a broom
Fall in love, get married then boom
How the hell did it get here so soon
I don't want to grow up
I don't want to grow up
Nothing ever seems to turn out right
I don't want to grow up
How do you move in a world of fog that's
Always changing things
Makes wish that I could be a dog
When I see the price that you pay
I don't want to grow up
I don't ever want to be that way
I don't want to grow up
Seems that folks turn into things
That they never want
The only thing to live for is today...
I'm gonna put a hole in my T.V. set
I don't want to grow up
Open up the medicine chest
I don't want to grow up
I don't want to have to shout it out
I don't want my hair to fall out
I don't want to be filled with doubt
I don't want to be a good boy scout
I don't want to have to learn to count
I don't want to have the biggest amount
I don't want to grow up
Well when I see my parents fight
I don't want to grow up
They all go out and drinkin' all night
I don't want to grow up
I'd rather stay here in my room
Nothin' out there but sad and gloom
I don't want to live in a big old tomb on
Grand street
When I see the 5 o'clock news
I don't want to grow up
Comb their hair and shine their shoes
I don't want to grow up
Stay around in my old hometown
I don't want to put no money down
I don't want to get a big old loan
Work them fingers to the bone
I don't want to float on a broom
Fall in love, get married then boom
How the hell did it get here so soon
I don't want to grow up
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I love this song. it says everything i feel at the moment!