"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.
Ladders made of cardboard
That I try to climb
Up a slippery mountain
With no other side
So what about this mountain
Is it really there?
Or am I just seeing things?
There's nothing there
So tell me
What good will it be for a woman
To gain the whole world
And lose her soul
And all the caterpillars
In their hurried piles
Wanna make a million (gonna make it)
They'll have to leave behind in dust
'Cause all our days are numbered
Round and round we go
In our own agendas
Not recognizing gold
So tell me
What good will it be for a man
To gain the whole world
So tell me
What good will it be for a woman
To gain the whole world
And lose her soul
I can't keep turning my back on
I can't keep turning my back on
The horizon
I can't keep turning my back on (the horizon)
I can't keep turning my back on
The horizon
I can't keep turning my back on (the horizon)
I can't keep turning my back on
Surrender
Surrender
Surrender
Surrender
Surrender
In the crooked tunnels
Hallways closing in
Remember where you're going
Remember where you've been
(Remember that I love you
Remember that I love you
Remember that I love you)
I'll tell you
What good could it be for a woman
To gain the whole world
Tell me
What good will it be for a man
To gain the whole world
And lose his soul
That I try to climb
Up a slippery mountain
With no other side
So what about this mountain
Is it really there?
Or am I just seeing things?
There's nothing there
So tell me
What good will it be for a woman
To gain the whole world
And lose her soul
And all the caterpillars
In their hurried piles
Wanna make a million (gonna make it)
They'll have to leave behind in dust
'Cause all our days are numbered
Round and round we go
In our own agendas
Not recognizing gold
So tell me
What good will it be for a man
To gain the whole world
So tell me
What good will it be for a woman
To gain the whole world
And lose her soul
I can't keep turning my back on
I can't keep turning my back on
The horizon
I can't keep turning my back on (the horizon)
I can't keep turning my back on
The horizon
I can't keep turning my back on (the horizon)
I can't keep turning my back on
Surrender
Surrender
Surrender
Surrender
Surrender
In the crooked tunnels
Hallways closing in
Remember where you're going
Remember where you've been
(Remember that I love you
Remember that I love you
Remember that I love you)
I'll tell you
What good could it be for a woman
To gain the whole world
Tell me
What good will it be for a man
To gain the whole world
And lose his soul
Lyrics submitted by cristinaish
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Great song. I love it. Beautiful.