"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.
She passed by my window
Her eyes were all aglow
And bent to pick her glove she'd dropped
From the bright and brittle snow
Nature had spoken it in the Spring
With apple, plum and brand new pear
Have you time for my company?
No, I said, I have none to spare
You gotta sanctify my love
You've gotta sanctify my love
You've gotta sanctify my love
I ain't no lover-boy, oh no
For apple, plum and brand new pear
Soon wither on the ground
She slapped the snow from off her glove
And moved on without a sound
You've gotta sanctify my love
You've gotta sanctify my love
You've gotta sanctify my love
I ain't no lover-boy, oh no
Sanctify my love
Sanctify my love
Sanctify my love
I ain't no lover-boy, oh no
I ain't no lover-boy (he ain't no lover-boy)
I ain't no lover-boy (he ain't no lover-boy)
I ain't no lover-boy (he ain't no lover-boy)
I ain't no lover-boy, so bye bye
(He ain't no lover-boy)
(He ain't no lover-boy)
(He ain't no lover-boy)
(He ain't no lover-boy)
Her eyes were all aglow
And bent to pick her glove she'd dropped
From the bright and brittle snow
Nature had spoken it in the Spring
With apple, plum and brand new pear
Have you time for my company?
No, I said, I have none to spare
You gotta sanctify my love
You've gotta sanctify my love
You've gotta sanctify my love
I ain't no lover-boy, oh no
For apple, plum and brand new pear
Soon wither on the ground
She slapped the snow from off her glove
And moved on without a sound
You've gotta sanctify my love
You've gotta sanctify my love
You've gotta sanctify my love
I ain't no lover-boy, oh no
Sanctify my love
Sanctify my love
Sanctify my love
I ain't no lover-boy, oh no
I ain't no lover-boy (he ain't no lover-boy)
I ain't no lover-boy (he ain't no lover-boy)
I ain't no lover-boy (he ain't no lover-boy)
I ain't no lover-boy, so bye bye
(He ain't no lover-boy)
(He ain't no lover-boy)
(He ain't no lover-boy)
(He ain't no lover-boy)
Lyrics submitted by Jeril, edited by Mellow_Harsher
She Passed by My Window Lyrics as written by Nicholas Cave
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think the following lines, and the chorus are the key to the song:
Have you time for my company? No, I said. I have none to spare
You gotta sanctify my love You gotta sanctify my love You gotta sanctify my love I ain't no lover-boy
It seems to be about a woman who wishes to be in a sexual relationship with him (hence the references to spring and fruits that "soon wither on the ground", which I interpret as meaning that a relationship without love soon withers), but he associates this person with winter, "brittle snow", with things cold and dead; and he 'ain't no lover-boy', he doesn't have time for flings. Love for him is something religious, holy, to be set apart, and he wishes to keep it free from the sin of having this person in his company.
When she slaps the snow off her glove and moves on without a sound, it seems as if her reaction to his cool response is to brush his coldness aside, just like the snow. She appears unbothered, but her silence says otherwise.
I think that the glove also gives away both of their feelings, because the glove is a symbol/token of affection and love. She drops it near his window, but gets snow all over it.