"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.
Never alone again, never give up
Never believe in any kind of bad dream
Never been in danger, never been a hot shot
Never seen failure, never had a bad day
Baby don’t you know a wave is coming through yeah
Don’t you feel it coming after you ooh
Somethin’ in the sky
Feels like fire running through your neighbourhood
Somethin’ in the sky
Somethin’ changing all the things you thought you knew
Never be late again, never pissed off
Never be wonderin’, where’d I leave my car keys?
Heard it on the TV, saw it on the radio
Felt it when the sky cracked, this could be my happy ending
Don’t you know a wave is coming through yeah
Don’t you feel it coming after you ooh
Somethin’ in the sky
Feels like fire running through your neighbourhood
Somethin’ in the sky
Somethin’ changing all the things you thought you knew
Somethin’ wonderful, somethin’ good
Somethin’ that feels like I knew it would
Somethin’ believable, somethin’ real
Somethin’ designed to really make you feel
Somethin’ in the sky
Never alone again, never give up
Never believed in any kind of bad dreams
Never seen danger, never been a hot shot
Never seen failure, never had a bad day
Somethin’ wonderful, somethin’ good
Somethin’ that feels like I knew it would
Somethin’ in the sky
Feels like fire running through your neighbourhood
Somethin’ in the sky
Somethin’ changing all the things you thought you knew
Somethin’ in the sky...
Don’t you know a wave is coming through ooh
Don’t you feel it coming after you ooh
Never believe in any kind of bad dream
Never been in danger, never been a hot shot
Never seen failure, never had a bad day
Baby don’t you know a wave is coming through yeah
Don’t you feel it coming after you ooh
Somethin’ in the sky
Feels like fire running through your neighbourhood
Somethin’ in the sky
Somethin’ changing all the things you thought you knew
Never be late again, never pissed off
Never be wonderin’, where’d I leave my car keys?
Heard it on the TV, saw it on the radio
Felt it when the sky cracked, this could be my happy ending
Don’t you know a wave is coming through yeah
Don’t you feel it coming after you ooh
Somethin’ in the sky
Feels like fire running through your neighbourhood
Somethin’ in the sky
Somethin’ changing all the things you thought you knew
Somethin’ wonderful, somethin’ good
Somethin’ that feels like I knew it would
Somethin’ believable, somethin’ real
Somethin’ designed to really make you feel
Somethin’ in the sky
Never alone again, never give up
Never believed in any kind of bad dreams
Never seen danger, never been a hot shot
Never seen failure, never had a bad day
Somethin’ wonderful, somethin’ good
Somethin’ that feels like I knew it would
Somethin’ in the sky
Feels like fire running through your neighbourhood
Somethin’ in the sky
Somethin’ changing all the things you thought you knew
Somethin’ in the sky...
Don’t you know a wave is coming through ooh
Don’t you feel it coming after you ooh
Lyrics submitted by Gabigs
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I really like it, it makes me believe it cold happen. I love the simplicity of the words he uses here (in contrast to some other complex songs of him). I love the "Somethin' changing all the things you thought you knew..." - I would like to feel like that once.