"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 isn't love and glory
Would fit into history
As you stand by the door
All my rainbow vision
You wait a flat submission
As I sit down and count the score
But these things that I've
Been longing to say
Get farther away
Lost at such a cost
Standing back to back
Choosing weapons from the rack
That's hanging on your wall
You know that we'll
Come to choose what's fair
Like all the rivers that we'd share
No one wants to show the truth
But if you should
Miss this kiss
Miss this kiss
We knew that this would happen
Don't say you can't imagine you would
Never ever ever get the call
Never show your face here
Sympathy's out of place
Or do I have to paint it on walls
If you ever forget
This happiness you bet
And miss this
Miss this kiss
Just turn around and look
Like it says in the good book
And I'll turn that horse to stone
You know that I'm
Standing in the rain
Little smile goes down the drain
Next time you'll never roam
And if you should miss this kiss
Miss this kiss
Never knew a place where
Bitterness was so commonplace
And was I ever so sure
That I found the cure
Turn around and look
Like it says in the good book
And I'll turn that horse to stone
You know that
Whatever comes to pass
Come the end, come the very last
You will get just what you're owed
Just what you're owed
Would fit into history
As you stand by the door
All my rainbow vision
You wait a flat submission
As I sit down and count the score
But these things that I've
Been longing to say
Get farther away
Lost at such a cost
Standing back to back
Choosing weapons from the rack
That's hanging on your wall
You know that we'll
Come to choose what's fair
Like all the rivers that we'd share
No one wants to show the truth
But if you should
Miss this kiss
Miss this kiss
We knew that this would happen
Don't say you can't imagine you would
Never ever ever get the call
Never show your face here
Sympathy's out of place
Or do I have to paint it on walls
If you ever forget
This happiness you bet
And miss this
Miss this kiss
Just turn around and look
Like it says in the good book
And I'll turn that horse to stone
You know that I'm
Standing in the rain
Little smile goes down the drain
Next time you'll never roam
And if you should miss this kiss
Miss this kiss
Never knew a place where
Bitterness was so commonplace
And was I ever so sure
That I found the cure
Turn around and look
Like it says in the good book
And I'll turn that horse to stone
You know that
Whatever comes to pass
Come the end, come the very last
You will get just what you're owed
Just what you're owed
Lyrics submitted by Major Valor
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