"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.
Free city
This is a shout out to every young brother ya know
That's doing his thing right now
Keep ya head up....
He's walking the yard wishing he had wings
Ya know so he could fly up out that joint
Man
[Chorus:]
If I could fly away
Oh I wouldn't come back no more
I'd turn around just to see you for the last time
See now I know
Hey that it wouldn't be easy
I done fought through the battle, and I made it this far
I got a few more feet but its still the longest yard
Man its the longest yard I ever had to get in my life
See my life ain't right if my wife don't write
My nigga can't eat if the fish don't bite
My raise the gross sales like Mike 'n' Ike
A big brother all mighty I keep gamma ray on my G five g
Takin G five Jeep, G five deep
To ?????????
Listen man they lock it down round here
See body bag, ya gag, then ya frown round here
This is serious as the sound round here
The guards guard the ground fo pounds round here
And they ain't playin' they just layin' old
And anything that would've happen
Nigga happen real slow
Get the word from upstairs, tell you in that hole
I can't take it I'm just ready to go
[Chorus:]
I'm in my cell twenty hours a day, doin' push ups every hour of a day
Cause I'm tryin' to keep the cowards away
That's why I'm markin' off the calendar days
Tryin' to get it outta the way
Yea, and I'm just tryin' to keep a peace in mind
And try not to strike a mother fucker with a piece of mine
Cause he try to take a peace of mine
So Imma slice him one piece at a time
But now they close the doors, lock me in
In a cell thirty feet but is built for ten
Tell me what kinda world they got you in
With a barbwire fence to box you in
From now till they turn off the lights
See I'm read everything in sight
Its kinda hard tryin' to read at night
But Imma change my life
And help another brother take this flight
[Chorus:]
Oh no, I gotta make it out this place some how
Oh no, man I really believe I can turn it around
Oh no, you see all I need is that second chance to show
Since incarceration, my obligation of rehabilitation
Oh no, punch me high kick me low
Oh no, its gonna take more than that for them to break my soul
Oh no, man its hard for people to understand what its like to be gated, incarcerated, most can't take it but Imma make it to see betta days
[Chorus:]
(Fading)
If I could fly away
If I could I'd turn around
If I could fly away
If I could I'd turn around
This is a shout out to every young brother ya know
That's doing his thing right now
Keep ya head up....
He's walking the yard wishing he had wings
Ya know so he could fly up out that joint
Man
[Chorus:]
If I could fly away
Oh I wouldn't come back no more
I'd turn around just to see you for the last time
See now I know
Hey that it wouldn't be easy
I done fought through the battle, and I made it this far
I got a few more feet but its still the longest yard
Man its the longest yard I ever had to get in my life
See my life ain't right if my wife don't write
My nigga can't eat if the fish don't bite
My raise the gross sales like Mike 'n' Ike
A big brother all mighty I keep gamma ray on my G five g
Takin G five Jeep, G five deep
To ?????????
Listen man they lock it down round here
See body bag, ya gag, then ya frown round here
This is serious as the sound round here
The guards guard the ground fo pounds round here
And they ain't playin' they just layin' old
And anything that would've happen
Nigga happen real slow
Get the word from upstairs, tell you in that hole
I can't take it I'm just ready to go
[Chorus:]
I'm in my cell twenty hours a day, doin' push ups every hour of a day
Cause I'm tryin' to keep the cowards away
That's why I'm markin' off the calendar days
Tryin' to get it outta the way
Yea, and I'm just tryin' to keep a peace in mind
And try not to strike a mother fucker with a piece of mine
Cause he try to take a peace of mine
So Imma slice him one piece at a time
But now they close the doors, lock me in
In a cell thirty feet but is built for ten
Tell me what kinda world they got you in
With a barbwire fence to box you in
From now till they turn off the lights
See I'm read everything in sight
Its kinda hard tryin' to read at night
But Imma change my life
And help another brother take this flight
[Chorus:]
Oh no, I gotta make it out this place some how
Oh no, man I really believe I can turn it around
Oh no, you see all I need is that second chance to show
Since incarceration, my obligation of rehabilitation
Oh no, punch me high kick me low
Oh no, its gonna take more than that for them to break my soul
Oh no, man its hard for people to understand what its like to be gated, incarcerated, most can't take it but Imma make it to see betta days
[Chorus:]
(Fading)
If I could fly away
If I could I'd turn around
If I could fly away
If I could I'd turn around
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hmm.. diz song.. im speechless