"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.
There's lots of pretty people here
Sharing stories and passing letters and
There's lots of questions answered and
Metaphysical astronomical songs
Worth printing all on papers
That seemed too mystical
It's so magical
People that dance and compute that
No one's better then you
La la la
La la la
La la la
La la la
There's kings in distant cities
Who rule their persons and
Make them happy and
We won't forget about all the servisory congratulatory
Even the animals know that something's brewing
And they're all cooing
'Cause in the end I'd like to say
No one's better than you
I hope you're happy now
I've revealed the truth
I've even written this whole song about you
And not about me
And not about me
Please don't just laugh and clap right now
This is serious
I'm not delirious
I've waited very patiently
Just to let you know
Who should run the show
'Cause we all know these are the facts
Nothing to retract
Nothing too abstract
Concluding in the song
I'll say that
No one's better than you
No one's better than you
No one's better than
You
Sharing stories and passing letters and
There's lots of questions answered and
Metaphysical astronomical songs
Worth printing all on papers
That seemed too mystical
It's so magical
People that dance and compute that
No one's better then you
La la la
La la la
La la la
La la la
There's kings in distant cities
Who rule their persons and
Make them happy and
We won't forget about all the servisory congratulatory
Even the animals know that something's brewing
And they're all cooing
'Cause in the end I'd like to say
No one's better than you
I hope you're happy now
I've revealed the truth
I've even written this whole song about you
And not about me
And not about me
Please don't just laugh and clap right now
This is serious
I'm not delirious
I've waited very patiently
Just to let you know
Who should run the show
'Cause we all know these are the facts
Nothing to retract
Nothing too abstract
Concluding in the song
I'll say that
No one's better than you
No one's better than you
No one's better than
You
Lyrics submitted by MXMissles, edited by KadeHomestucc
The Whole World and You Lyrics as written by Joseph R Hawley Andrew D Horowitz
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I'm near certain that everyone in this comments section is a little off about what the intended meaning of the song is. The song is literally about us, the listener, and how we live out our own lives. The lyrics don't reveal everything here, the music video itself certainly plays a large part into the meaning of the song.
There is lots of imagery in the video to support this point - all of the characters are puppets (except for the man in the room that controls them all secretly), showing that none of the "rulers" are powerful, but instead just figureheads and on the same plane as everyone else.
The start of the song appreciates the brilliance of what people as individuals can do - they're the ones that answer these questions, pass letters, share "sotries" and dance.
The man in the room is seen to actually make the gun to kill off the puppet that reveals the truth to everyone else, revealing that he is always and will always be the one in control, keeping them in a sealed box and stopping them from ruling themselves and leaving.
The puppet that reveals the truth says it's "not about him" in reference to how he shouldn't be involved in their personal lives at all - he writes it about them because he cares for them and wants them to retain their liberty.
At times, he isn't taken seriously by his supporters or his opposition, telling both to stop "clapping and laughing" and that he "isn't delirious". He's trying his best to sort of say "I'm not trying to score political points, this is actually the best way to do things and they won't tell you that."
TL;DR: The song is ideologically based in the ruling of oneself without interference from government - which is said to be the "true way" of living life - that people living afar don't know the best way for you to live, and that they're all puppets. The politician that reveals this to everyone is assassinated for bringing it up since he would be reducing the power and size of the government over peoples lives, giving the government a smaller role overall.