"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.
Now am I just creative
Or was I meant to be a killer
Killing lovers in the street
Sometimes the most unlikely
Prove themselves to be a liar
Everything you said to me
I, I'm glad I'm alive
There is no way
I'm touching ground again
I saw a blind man shackled
By his hands and feet, escaping
When his face hit the concrete
And the same way you play vicious
That's the same way you agree
Endearing
An endearing empathy
I, I'm glad I'm alive
There is no way
I'm touching ground again
I'd be shot in the back
By my fears
Whoa, shot in the back
By my fears
Shot in the back
By my fears
I'd be shot in the back
By my fears
I'm telling you
I'm glad I'm alive
There is no way
I'm touching ground again
Uh-huh
Or was I meant to be a killer
Killing lovers in the street
Sometimes the most unlikely
Prove themselves to be a liar
Everything you said to me
I, I'm glad I'm alive
There is no way
I'm touching ground again
I saw a blind man shackled
By his hands and feet, escaping
When his face hit the concrete
And the same way you play vicious
That's the same way you agree
Endearing
An endearing empathy
I, I'm glad I'm alive
There is no way
I'm touching ground again
I'd be shot in the back
By my fears
Whoa, shot in the back
By my fears
Shot in the back
By my fears
I'd be shot in the back
By my fears
I'm telling you
I'm glad I'm alive
There is no way
I'm touching ground again
Uh-huh
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Fast Car
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nobody commented yet? jeez. this song is awesome. the song sounds like a person(blind man shackled) who gets hurt pretty bad and doesnt want to get hurt again.
I like this song a lot too. I think the blind man might be a metaphor for his life and just how he's been through some really hard times (where he's "touched ground") and he doesn't want to go back there. And he's just saying how he's glad to be alive now. I think he might be talking about a girl too.. I'm not really sure though.
This song is the most amazing song of the album, I can't even remember the name of the album I lost it and it's been so long... -_-
Anyway, the lyrics to me seem strange. The start make it sounds like he's speaking for a murderer, and the second verse sounds like he's speaking from someone who see's the murderer in jail... lol. I dunno I'm not good with lyrics but the song just sounds amazing and I love his voice during the verse.
Favourite song off this album by far. To me these lyrics are very deep and personal. I think it is about his life in general, a lot of personal demons, and the extreme good and bad moods we can go through.
The first line is talking about is he just creative, different from a lot of society and having differing views, or just a reject meant to be a killer. Society views people like that one and the same a lot.
The chorus seems bittersweet as he went through some shit and he's glad he's alive and nothing will ever touch him again, rising above his demons.
The second verse shows life's contrast again, someone down and out then endearing empathy. Could be related to just one persons good and bad qualities or the good and bad he sees within himself.
"I'd be shot in the back By my fears" is such a profound statement. Sometimes our fears manifest themselves BECAUSE we have those fears, like a negative magnet.
Those are just some of my thoughts on the general themes of the song, though it is a pop song it has more depth and I just love it.