"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.
I was just killin' time
Waitin' on a train
Out back pitchin' pennies
Tryin' to stay out of the rain
Caught a Southbound freight
Down to Memphis, Tennessee
That's where my baby might be
Well I hit the ground runnin'
On the outskirts of town
Walked down by the river
Just to take a look around
Met up with a stranger
He seemed to recognize me
That's where my baby might be
Silhouette in the distance
Like I seen before
I walked down the street
And up to the door
If you drag that river
All the way to the sea
That's where my baby might be
My baby might be
Waitin' on a train
Out back pitchin' pennies
Tryin' to stay out of the rain
Caught a Southbound freight
Down to Memphis, Tennessee
That's where my baby might be
Well I hit the ground runnin'
On the outskirts of town
Walked down by the river
Just to take a look around
Met up with a stranger
He seemed to recognize me
That's where my baby might be
Silhouette in the distance
Like I seen before
I walked down the street
And up to the door
If you drag that river
All the way to the sea
That's where my baby might be
My baby might be
Lyrics submitted by mjearnshaw
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