"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.
well they're building a gallows outside my cell
I've got 25 minutes to go
and the whole town's waitin' just to hear me yell
I've got 24 minutes to go
well they gave me some beans for my last meal
I've got 23 minutes to go
but nobody asked me how I feel
I've got 22 minutes to go
well I sent for the governor and the whole darn bunch
with 21 minutes to go
well I called up the mayor but he's out to lunch I’ve
got 20 more minutes to go
then the sheriff said, “boy I gonna watch you die!”
got 19 minutes to go
so I laughed in his face and I spit in his eye
got 18 minutes to go
now hear comes the preacher for to save my soul
with 13 minutes to go
and he's talking bout' burnin' but I'm so cold
I've 12 more minutes to go
now they're testin' the trap and it chills my spine
11 more minutes to go
and the trap and the rope aw they work just fine
got 10 more minutes to go
well I'm waitin' on the pardon that'll set me free
with 9 more minutes to go
but this ain’t the movies, so forget about me
got 8 more minutes to go
with my feet on the trap and my head in the noose
got 5 more minutes to go
won't somebody come and cut me loose with
4 more minutes to go
I can see the mountains, I can see the skies with
3 more minutes to go
and it's too darn pretty for a man that don't wanna die
2 more minutes to go
I can see the buzzards, I can hear the crows
1 more minute to go
and now I'm swingin'
and here I goooooo
I've got 25 minutes to go
and the whole town's waitin' just to hear me yell
I've got 24 minutes to go
well they gave me some beans for my last meal
I've got 23 minutes to go
but nobody asked me how I feel
I've got 22 minutes to go
well I sent for the governor and the whole darn bunch
with 21 minutes to go
well I called up the mayor but he's out to lunch I’ve
got 20 more minutes to go
then the sheriff said, “boy I gonna watch you die!”
got 19 minutes to go
so I laughed in his face and I spit in his eye
got 18 minutes to go
now hear comes the preacher for to save my soul
with 13 minutes to go
and he's talking bout' burnin' but I'm so cold
I've 12 more minutes to go
now they're testin' the trap and it chills my spine
11 more minutes to go
and the trap and the rope aw they work just fine
got 10 more minutes to go
well I'm waitin' on the pardon that'll set me free
with 9 more minutes to go
but this ain’t the movies, so forget about me
got 8 more minutes to go
with my feet on the trap and my head in the noose
got 5 more minutes to go
won't somebody come and cut me loose with
4 more minutes to go
I can see the mountains, I can see the skies with
3 more minutes to go
and it's too darn pretty for a man that don't wanna die
2 more minutes to go
I can see the buzzards, I can hear the crows
1 more minute to go
and now I'm swingin'
and here I goooooo
Lyrics submitted by displacedfever
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