"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.
Like a grain on the beach
Like a star in the sky
Far too many to count with the naked eye
They won’t see you
Go ahead
Walk on by
You don’t know I’m alive
Maybe one day you’ll find
You should open your eyes
You don’t know me
You’re the one who looked right through me
Now you’re saying that you knew me
When I was invisible
And you’re the one who walked right through me
Now you’re saying that you knew me
When I was invisible
Little things adding up
Try so hard not to rush
Giving in, letting go of the world we know
They won’t see you
Force it down
Lose the taste
They all think it’s a waste
We don’t need to believe every word they say no
They don’t know me
It’s so easy to be lost
But maybe you’re not lost at all
Oh do you recognize me?
Oh do you know who I am?
Oh do you see me now?
Do you see me now?
Like a star in the sky
Far too many to count with the naked eye
They won’t see you
Go ahead
Walk on by
You don’t know I’m alive
Maybe one day you’ll find
You should open your eyes
You don’t know me
You’re the one who looked right through me
Now you’re saying that you knew me
When I was invisible
And you’re the one who walked right through me
Now you’re saying that you knew me
When I was invisible
Little things adding up
Try so hard not to rush
Giving in, letting go of the world we know
They won’t see you
Force it down
Lose the taste
They all think it’s a waste
We don’t need to believe every word they say no
They don’t know me
It’s so easy to be lost
But maybe you’re not lost at all
Oh do you recognize me?
Oh do you know who I am?
Oh do you see me now?
Do you see me now?
Lyrics submitted by thatswhyiloveyou
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I think the song means like when you care about someone and they dont really pay attention or care very much and like all of a sudden you care about someone else or you have a lot more people that care about you or like now that she is famous people who didnt care before or that one specific person starts caring and saying they knew you and they cared about you before these other people did like saying they knew you when you were invisible even tough they didnt and now because other people are caring they are