"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.
Anybody out there?
Building up the pain, it's ready to go
The rocket has launched, where will it go?
And what will it be, and what will we do
The match has sparked a fire anew
And what will we do
Valkyrie missile, packed and away
Something is coming, but I can't say
She knows I know, and I know it too
Surprise, here it is, we were waiting for you
Take a chance, 'cause I know you want to
Let me kiss you, and let me save you
Let me end your eternal fear
Let me take you far away from here
Cocked and loaded, ready to go
No one knows what happens when it goes
One by one, the rockets fly
Soaring into the February sky
Take a chance, 'cause I know you want to
Let me kiss you, and let me save you
Let me end your eternal fear
Let me take you far away from here
Valkyrie missile, packed and away
Something is coming, but I can't say
She knows I know, and I know it too
Surprise, here it is, we were waiting for you
Take a chance, 'cause I know you want to
Let me kiss you, and let me save you
Let me end your eternal fear
Let me take you far away from here
Take a chance, 'cause I know you want to
Let me kiss you, and let me save you
Let me end your eternal fear
Let me take you far away from here
Building up the pain, it's ready to go
The rocket has launched, where will it go?
And what will it be, and what will we do
The match has sparked a fire anew
And what will we do
Valkyrie missile, packed and away
Something is coming, but I can't say
She knows I know, and I know it too
Surprise, here it is, we were waiting for you
Take a chance, 'cause I know you want to
Let me kiss you, and let me save you
Let me end your eternal fear
Let me take you far away from here
Cocked and loaded, ready to go
No one knows what happens when it goes
One by one, the rockets fly
Soaring into the February sky
Take a chance, 'cause I know you want to
Let me kiss you, and let me save you
Let me end your eternal fear
Let me take you far away from here
Valkyrie missile, packed and away
Something is coming, but I can't say
She knows I know, and I know it too
Surprise, here it is, we were waiting for you
Take a chance, 'cause I know you want to
Let me kiss you, and let me save you
Let me end your eternal fear
Let me take you far away from here
Take a chance, 'cause I know you want to
Let me kiss you, and let me save you
Let me end your eternal fear
Let me take you far away from here
Lyrics submitted by wendyclear-atticus
Valkyrie Missile Lyrics as written by Thomas Delonge
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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Good start to a good album.