"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.
I hear she's kickin' ass across the board
And rock two hundred thousand higher scorer
Just in time to save the world of being taken over
She's a warrior
I couldn't play again because the game
It never end it never even landed on the can
And never let me in to spend my quarter
There's no love for me no more
Say it isn't so
How she easily come, how she easy go
Please don't tell her that I miss her
Because I don't
She was the girl with the broadest shoulders
But she would die before I crawled over them
She is taller than I am
She knew I wouldn't mind the view there
Or the altitude with a mouth full of air
She let me down and doubt came out until the now became later
Say that it isn't so
How she easily come, how she easy go
Please don't tell her that I've been meaning to miss her
Because I don't
Not for her
It's not that I'm mad to forgive
Forget what I said
That I'm crazy like the rest of us
And I'm crazier when I'm next to her, ha
So why after the all of everything that came
And went I care enough to still be singing of the bitter end and broken eras
I told you I don't but
I am only trying to be the best with my intent to cure
The rest is sure to lay me ease the plural hurts of the words of reverse psychology
That's easier said
Easier than done
Please don't dare tell her what I've become
Please don't mention all the attention I have drawn
Please don't bother cause she'll feel guilty when I'm gone
Because I'm crazy like the rest of us
And I'm crazier when I'm next to her
And it's amazing how she's self-assured
And I know she'd hate me if she knew my words
Do I hurt anymore
Do I hurt, well
I don't
I don't
I don't
And rock two hundred thousand higher scorer
Just in time to save the world of being taken over
She's a warrior
I couldn't play again because the game
It never end it never even landed on the can
And never let me in to spend my quarter
There's no love for me no more
Say it isn't so
How she easily come, how she easy go
Please don't tell her that I miss her
Because I don't
She was the girl with the broadest shoulders
But she would die before I crawled over them
She is taller than I am
She knew I wouldn't mind the view there
Or the altitude with a mouth full of air
She let me down and doubt came out until the now became later
Say that it isn't so
How she easily come, how she easy go
Please don't tell her that I've been meaning to miss her
Because I don't
Not for her
It's not that I'm mad to forgive
Forget what I said
That I'm crazy like the rest of us
And I'm crazier when I'm next to her, ha
So why after the all of everything that came
And went I care enough to still be singing of the bitter end and broken eras
I told you I don't but
I am only trying to be the best with my intent to cure
The rest is sure to lay me ease the plural hurts of the words of reverse psychology
That's easier said
Easier than done
Please don't dare tell her what I've become
Please don't mention all the attention I have drawn
Please don't bother cause she'll feel guilty when I'm gone
Because I'm crazy like the rest of us
And I'm crazier when I'm next to her
And it's amazing how she's self-assured
And I know she'd hate me if she knew my words
Do I hurt anymore
Do I hurt, well
I don't
I don't
I don't
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Fast Car
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I thought the quarter part was his way of saying he never even got a chance with her. Fits in with the way he uses a video game to show how awesome he thinks she is.
"And never let me in to spend my quarter"