"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.
Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t
Don’t say you don’t love me
My beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beating heart could stop
This hemisphere in your company for forever
Or for now
And don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t
Don’t say you don’t need me
My limbs are hinged on that responsibility
And I know, I, I know I need to be lucky
Because the day is too short to become any good
There’s no night to fall in
Where the sirens calling
We are up all hours
Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t
Don’t say you don’t love me
My beating heart would stop
This hemisphere in your company for forever
Because the day is too short to become any good
There’s no night to fall in
Where the sirens calling
We are up all hours
Here caught in our jackets
Our primitive clothing
There are burdens extending around us now
But I would ride my bicycle
Into a silver stone wall
There are bodies extending around us all
There’s no night to fall in
Where the sirens calling
We are up all hours
And there’s no night to fall in
Where the sirens calling
We are up all hours
Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t
Don’t say you don’t
Don’t say you don’t love me
My beat, beat, beat, beat, beat, beating heart could stop
This hemisphere in your company for forever
Or for now
And don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t
Don’t say you don’t need me
My limbs are hinged on that responsibility
And I know, I, I know I need to be lucky
Because the day is too short to become any good
There’s no night to fall in
Where the sirens calling
We are up all hours
Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t
Don’t say you don’t love me
My beating heart would stop
This hemisphere in your company for forever
Because the day is too short to become any good
There’s no night to fall in
Where the sirens calling
We are up all hours
Here caught in our jackets
Our primitive clothing
There are burdens extending around us now
But I would ride my bicycle
Into a silver stone wall
There are bodies extending around us all
There’s no night to fall in
Where the sirens calling
We are up all hours
And there’s no night to fall in
Where the sirens calling
We are up all hours
Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t
Don’t say you don’t
Lyrics submitted by workorburn
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