"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.
It's a crime to fall in love
Heart and mind and soul in love
It's a crime to fall in love
So hard, so hard
I shouldn't have bothered, cuz you're just like all the others
Now I know that I won't do that again
I should have guessed that you'd be just like all the rest
Now I know not to go through that again
I'm still crying all night and all day
But if I show it, someone lock me away, 'cause
It's a crime to fall in love
Heart and mind and soul in love
It's a crime to fall in love
So hard, so hard
My mother said gently, "You can buy her a Bentley, but, my son, she'll only drive it away."
I didn't listen, 'cause my brain was missing
And I only found it today
I was a man, but now I'm only a child
And if it kills me, I am going to smile, 'cause
It's a crime to fall in love
Heart and mind and soul in love
It's a crime to fall in love
So hard, so hard
You won't be hearing from me anymore,
'Cause I can't see through my tears anymore
If it takes years to be anymore than a jellyfish
I will not tell you this, because
It's a crime to fall in love
Heart and mind and soul in love
It's a crime to fall in love
So hard, so hard
So hard, so hard
So hard, so hard
So hard, so hard
Heart and mind and soul in love
It's a crime to fall in love
So hard, so hard
I shouldn't have bothered, cuz you're just like all the others
Now I know that I won't do that again
I should have guessed that you'd be just like all the rest
Now I know not to go through that again
I'm still crying all night and all day
But if I show it, someone lock me away, 'cause
It's a crime to fall in love
Heart and mind and soul in love
It's a crime to fall in love
So hard, so hard
My mother said gently, "You can buy her a Bentley, but, my son, she'll only drive it away."
I didn't listen, 'cause my brain was missing
And I only found it today
I was a man, but now I'm only a child
And if it kills me, I am going to smile, 'cause
It's a crime to fall in love
Heart and mind and soul in love
It's a crime to fall in love
So hard, so hard
You won't be hearing from me anymore,
'Cause I can't see through my tears anymore
If it takes years to be anymore than a jellyfish
I will not tell you this, because
It's a crime to fall in love
Heart and mind and soul in love
It's a crime to fall in love
So hard, so hard
So hard, so hard
So hard, so hard
So hard, so hard
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weird cool and rather self-explanatory song
Self-explanatory, yes, and also pure genius. This song is very true and well-written as well.