"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.
So you got left behind
Would you like to join the crowd?
No one really cares about your hollow, hardened heart
Oh, Pinocchio, that nose will grow
And that's why you're alone
All your lies were shown
I wish I'd known before I fell for you
I feel the spider spin her web
Of numbness around my brain
Her tracks run down my spine
An arctic stream runs through my veins
Oh, Valentine, you were never mine
So never mind my resentment towards you
Or reasons for killing you
A fling for the winter, a bed full of splinters
So here's your records back
I made sure all of them were smashed
Only half the damage you did behind my back
Here's the telephone, I won't be needing one at all
Because if you ever call me I'd probably die of shock
I weeble-wobble hard
You better stay down this time
Always getting pushed around
Why can't you just stay down?
Oh, Gepetto knows you should never go
With someone made of wood
Because indepedence stings, you got no strings
You got no feelings
Love is just a scab you just keep picking at to keep it red
While you run the risk of infection
Or lies
All the scabs you gave have all been scarred away
Although I try to keep them alive
I'll probably die of loss of blood
Would you like to join the crowd?
No one really cares about your hollow, hardened heart
Oh, Pinocchio, that nose will grow
And that's why you're alone
All your lies were shown
I wish I'd known before I fell for you
I feel the spider spin her web
Of numbness around my brain
Her tracks run down my spine
An arctic stream runs through my veins
Oh, Valentine, you were never mine
So never mind my resentment towards you
Or reasons for killing you
A fling for the winter, a bed full of splinters
So here's your records back
I made sure all of them were smashed
Only half the damage you did behind my back
Here's the telephone, I won't be needing one at all
Because if you ever call me I'd probably die of shock
I weeble-wobble hard
You better stay down this time
Always getting pushed around
Why can't you just stay down?
Oh, Gepetto knows you should never go
With someone made of wood
Because indepedence stings, you got no strings
You got no feelings
Love is just a scab you just keep picking at to keep it red
While you run the risk of infection
Or lies
All the scabs you gave have all been scarred away
Although I try to keep them alive
I'll probably die of loss of blood
Lyrics submitted by helsabot
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