"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.
Maybe I can make it better
Tell me where it all went wrong
Cause you know that you really upset her
When you act like a man who is cross with every woman he's never had
If it's true looks could kill then you'd be the first to make me mad
Then you gotta go
Maybe you gotta go
Is this the kind of fate you could contemplate?
A breakdown at my very sight
I promise hidden words of tenderness in every single line that I write
Still you act like a man who is cross with every woman he's never had
If it's true looks could kill then you'd be the first to make me mad
Then you gotta go
Maybe you gotta go
Tell me where it all went wrong
Maybe I can make it better
Cause you act like a man who is cross with every woman he's never had
If it's true looks could kill then you'd be the first to make me mad
Cause you act like a man who is cross with every woman he's never had
If it's true looks could kill then you'd be the first to make me mad
Then you gotta go
Maybe you gotta go
If it's true, if looks could kill
If it's true, if looks could kill
Is it true, looks could kill?
Yeah, it's true, looks could kill
Tell me where it all went wrong
Cause you know that you really upset her
When you act like a man who is cross with every woman he's never had
If it's true looks could kill then you'd be the first to make me mad
Then you gotta go
Maybe you gotta go
Is this the kind of fate you could contemplate?
A breakdown at my very sight
I promise hidden words of tenderness in every single line that I write
Still you act like a man who is cross with every woman he's never had
If it's true looks could kill then you'd be the first to make me mad
Then you gotta go
Maybe you gotta go
Tell me where it all went wrong
Maybe I can make it better
Cause you act like a man who is cross with every woman he's never had
If it's true looks could kill then you'd be the first to make me mad
Cause you act like a man who is cross with every woman he's never had
If it's true looks could kill then you'd be the first to make me mad
Then you gotta go
Maybe you gotta go
If it's true, if looks could kill
If it's true, if looks could kill
Is it true, looks could kill?
Yeah, it's true, looks could kill
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Fast Car
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:)...even though the lyrics dont imply sweetness, i cant help but feel all corny and sweet when i listen to it!