"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.
dawn, early in the morn
the fight surges on where the battle lines were drawn
cadavers sweep the land like a flood of the dead
the sky reflects the hue of the earth: blood red
bloodshed marked by clashing swords that seem
to be drowned out only by wails and screams
samurai kitanas versus homemade blades
the hope of the farmer quickly fades
the flyin' arrow replaces the goose and the crane
showers down like rain lettin' loose on the plain
yet those who remain stay sane and maintain
makin' sure their companions didn't die in vain
never lettin' down as the battle rages
holding their ground as the enemy engages
this army ain't never seen resistance so courageous
probably didn't think it'd be a battle for the ages
the samurai crew gets a lot of credit too
positionin' the men and tellin' em what to do
usin' familiar ground as best as they can
never in a panic, stickin' to the plan
fightin' with fervor for what they feel is right
defend justice the way an idealist might
standing tall like a man who just revealed his height
cuz if they fall, they know it will be a mealless night
things ain't lookin' good, but they hide their concern
givin' it their all, hopin' that the tides turn
but with every stopped wave comes another one again
it's as if the local lord was manufacturing men
never have they faced a situation so grim
nor seen the chances of salvation so slim
they wish they had enlisted more samurai support
some more talented swords could really hold down the fort
but the other samurai from the towns wouldn't come
their hearts were numb, thought the whole thing was dumb
"It's not our fight" was the response of some
And now these farmers are gettin' beat down like a drum
the samurai order the men to fall back
in the open field they can't sustain the attack
their only chance is to regroup at the farms
gather all the troops in a call to arms
so the farmers run back to the stronghold
to try to hang on, stand strong and bold
farmers for life they gonna ride or die
just tryin' to get by, this oppression ain't gonna fly
ain't nobody tighter than a lower class clan
with everything to lose right there on their grassland
got everyone defending it down to the last man
they gonna fight to survive and this is their last stand
the fight surges on where the battle lines were drawn
cadavers sweep the land like a flood of the dead
the sky reflects the hue of the earth: blood red
bloodshed marked by clashing swords that seem
to be drowned out only by wails and screams
samurai kitanas versus homemade blades
the hope of the farmer quickly fades
the flyin' arrow replaces the goose and the crane
showers down like rain lettin' loose on the plain
yet those who remain stay sane and maintain
makin' sure their companions didn't die in vain
never lettin' down as the battle rages
holding their ground as the enemy engages
this army ain't never seen resistance so courageous
probably didn't think it'd be a battle for the ages
the samurai crew gets a lot of credit too
positionin' the men and tellin' em what to do
usin' familiar ground as best as they can
never in a panic, stickin' to the plan
fightin' with fervor for what they feel is right
defend justice the way an idealist might
standing tall like a man who just revealed his height
cuz if they fall, they know it will be a mealless night
things ain't lookin' good, but they hide their concern
givin' it their all, hopin' that the tides turn
but with every stopped wave comes another one again
it's as if the local lord was manufacturing men
never have they faced a situation so grim
nor seen the chances of salvation so slim
they wish they had enlisted more samurai support
some more talented swords could really hold down the fort
but the other samurai from the towns wouldn't come
their hearts were numb, thought the whole thing was dumb
"It's not our fight" was the response of some
And now these farmers are gettin' beat down like a drum
the samurai order the men to fall back
in the open field they can't sustain the attack
their only chance is to regroup at the farms
gather all the troops in a call to arms
so the farmers run back to the stronghold
to try to hang on, stand strong and bold
farmers for life they gonna ride or die
just tryin' to get by, this oppression ain't gonna fly
ain't nobody tighter than a lower class clan
with everything to lose right there on their grassland
got everyone defending it down to the last man
they gonna fight to survive and this is their last stand
Lyrics submitted by shogunmusic
Battle On The Plains (Things Ain't Lookin' Good) song meanings
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