"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.
It's not hard
Sometimes when we drift apart
Give in to all that counts and whatever you found
All this time you tried so hard it made you wonder why
You could climb beyond yourself and claim you'll never die
Backwards walking through the sun
Now you're without the focus you depended on
Backwards walking through the sun
Now you're without the focus you depended on
We blame each other
Sometimes we gather others
To see the lack of function that misplaced our conscience, baby, so
All this time you tried so hard it made you wonder why
You could climb beyond yourself and claim you'll never die
Backwards walking through the sun
Now you're without the focus you depended on
Backwards walking through the sun
Now you're without the focus you depended on
All this time you tried so hard it made you wonder why
You could climb beyond yourself and claim you'll never die
Sometimes when we drift apart
Give in to all that counts and whatever you found
All this time you tried so hard it made you wonder why
You could climb beyond yourself and claim you'll never die
Backwards walking through the sun
Now you're without the focus you depended on
Backwards walking through the sun
Now you're without the focus you depended on
We blame each other
Sometimes we gather others
To see the lack of function that misplaced our conscience, baby, so
All this time you tried so hard it made you wonder why
You could climb beyond yourself and claim you'll never die
Backwards walking through the sun
Now you're without the focus you depended on
Backwards walking through the sun
Now you're without the focus you depended on
All this time you tried so hard it made you wonder why
You could climb beyond yourself and claim you'll never die
Lyrics submitted by smyth
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