"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 know that you're out there
Born ready, but on the decline
To keep you from my thoughts
When we first broke the line
Do you remember like I remember?
Lost pursuits of excellence
The glory of the crowd
Lives of imperialists
Leave me with aching wrists
So no wonder you frown when you're two world wars down
So when the dark times come well I will sing you a good time song
I'm pretending that it's ending but it kills me twice as strong
Just to gaze in your eyes, makes all the difference to me.
Just be ready my angel
Be ready when I call
I've been re reading letters
They were moving warm but bitter and I cried right through them all
Oooh ooooh
The days go so slow
Ooooh oooh
We'll never get to heaven with the artillery in tow
So when the dark times come, it might warm your heart to know
That I went to the crossroads but the devil never showed
They can stick their war, I'm leaving now
It makes no difference to me
I'm hoping if you know where I am
Send your heart in a telegram
I'm praying that you know where I am
Be upstairs ready my angel
Be ready when I call
And then my angel I'll be ready too and I will catch you when you fall
Do you remember like I remember
All the dirty things you said?
Do you remember like I remember
Or was it all in my head?
So when the dark times come well I will song you a good time song
I'm pretending that it's ending but it kills me to act so strong
To gaze in your eyes makes all the difference to me
So
who's got the clap
Who's got the clap
Give yourself a clap now
Born ready, but on the decline
To keep you from my thoughts
When we first broke the line
Do you remember like I remember?
Lost pursuits of excellence
The glory of the crowd
Lives of imperialists
Leave me with aching wrists
So no wonder you frown when you're two world wars down
So when the dark times come well I will sing you a good time song
I'm pretending that it's ending but it kills me twice as strong
Just to gaze in your eyes, makes all the difference to me.
Just be ready my angel
Be ready when I call
I've been re reading letters
They were moving warm but bitter and I cried right through them all
Oooh ooooh
The days go so slow
Ooooh oooh
We'll never get to heaven with the artillery in tow
So when the dark times come, it might warm your heart to know
That I went to the crossroads but the devil never showed
They can stick their war, I'm leaving now
It makes no difference to me
I'm hoping if you know where I am
Send your heart in a telegram
I'm praying that you know where I am
Be upstairs ready my angel
Be ready when I call
And then my angel I'll be ready too and I will catch you when you fall
Do you remember like I remember
All the dirty things you said?
Do you remember like I remember
Or was it all in my head?
So when the dark times come well I will song you a good time song
I'm pretending that it's ending but it kills me to act so strong
To gaze in your eyes makes all the difference to me
So
who's got the clap
Who's got the clap
Give yourself a clap now
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Nope, it's clap unless Carl got it wrong.
You must be pretty thick to think it's about Peter. It's about a guy in a war missing his girlfriend. B.U.R.M.A stands for Be Upstairs Ready My Angel, a WWII postal acronym.