"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.
Standing on the corner with the lowdown blues
A great big hole in the bottom of my shoes
Honey let me be your salty dog
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Look it here Sal, I know you
Run down stocking and a wore out shoe
Honey let me be your salty dog
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Down in the wildwood sitting on a log
Finger on the trigger and an eye on the hog
Honey let me be your salty dog
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Well I Pulled the trigger and the gun set go
The shot gun over in Mexico
Honey let me be your salty dog
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Salty down now
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
A great big hole in the bottom of my shoes
Honey let me be your salty dog
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Look it here Sal, I know you
Run down stocking and a wore out shoe
Honey let me be your salty dog
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Down in the wildwood sitting on a log
Finger on the trigger and an eye on the hog
Honey let me be your salty dog
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Well I Pulled the trigger and the gun set go
The shot gun over in Mexico
Honey let me be your salty dog
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Salty down now
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Let me be your salty dog
Or I won't be your little man at all
Honey let me be your salty dog
Lyrics submitted by ButNeverOutgunned
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