"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.
The eyes of night march slowly by
The last grain falls
The kneeling man just sighs
Protected by the one great wall
Of coloured parts
He probes his clouded mind
If he takes a look around him
Is there nothing left to see
Is there nothing left at all
After the day
With trembling hands he wipes his eyes
He tries to stand
But does not feel the need
The morning sun shines on
The multicoloured cross
Left standing through it all
If he takes a look around him
Is there nothing left to see
Is there nothing left at all
After the day
If he takes a look around him
Is there nothing left to see
Is there nothing left at all
After the day
The last grain falls
The kneeling man just sighs
Protected by the one great wall
Of coloured parts
He probes his clouded mind
If he takes a look around him
Is there nothing left to see
Is there nothing left at all
After the day
With trembling hands he wipes his eyes
He tries to stand
But does not feel the need
The morning sun shines on
The multicoloured cross
Left standing through it all
If he takes a look around him
Is there nothing left to see
Is there nothing left at all
After the day
If he takes a look around him
Is there nothing left to see
Is there nothing left at all
After the day
Lyrics submitted by Ocean Soul
After the Day Lyrics as written by John Lees
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I love this song. I have seen BJH a few times but they never played this one live. I particularly like the build-up through the song, from the gentle opening lines, to the apocalyptic end of thunder and crashing. Another great guitar solo outro.