"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.
People sink your boat
When you cut a tragic figure
They drink their lemonade
And throw you a line
Boil your problem down
To yes or no, what's the matter?
They bomb your promenade
And this makes it shine
So you must play the comic
If they want one
And describe their moment
When they're in one
People pass you by
Passing up the chance to know you
They're irregular
In the usual way
You should crack a smile
Once in a while, it makes you pretty
It makes you want to give them
A piece of your mind
But they can't be people
Not if I'm one
If I have to be like them
I'd rather be no one
Couldn't make the scene
Not with all the people looking
All these connoisseurs
On guard all the time
Rather spend the day
Blank as hell by the window
Looking out of my
Stained glass eyes
La la la la la la la la la . . .
When you cut a tragic figure
They drink their lemonade
And throw you a line
Boil your problem down
To yes or no, what's the matter?
They bomb your promenade
And this makes it shine
So you must play the comic
If they want one
And describe their moment
When they're in one
People pass you by
Passing up the chance to know you
They're irregular
In the usual way
You should crack a smile
Once in a while, it makes you pretty
It makes you want to give them
A piece of your mind
But they can't be people
Not if I'm one
If I have to be like them
I'd rather be no one
Couldn't make the scene
Not with all the people looking
All these connoisseurs
On guard all the time
Rather spend the day
Blank as hell by the window
Looking out of my
Stained glass eyes
La la la la la la la la la . . .
Lyrics submitted by lost_in_twlight
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i highly agree!