"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.
Infatuated with your fashion it's my daily routine
To be outside of your glass display
My love you're made for me
I swear you said
I'm running with scissors, in hope that I fall down
Well here I am, here I am
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
I heard the sirens as the glass broke now I'm fleeing the scene
Running with this medic hand
My love you're made for me
I swear, she said
These fellas are plastic, you're not what I imagined
Here I am, here I am
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
And they break the front door down
They find me in tears
You hide behind me
Put me in my new white coat
Arms crossed my chest
To restrain my desperate heart from screaming your name
And they roll me away
Which room soft to the touch
Like your plastic flesh
(Oooh I like that)
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
To be outside of your glass display
My love you're made for me
I swear you said
I'm running with scissors, in hope that I fall down
Well here I am, here I am
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
I heard the sirens as the glass broke now I'm fleeing the scene
Running with this medic hand
My love you're made for me
I swear, she said
These fellas are plastic, you're not what I imagined
Here I am, here I am
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
And they break the front door down
They find me in tears
You hide behind me
Put me in my new white coat
Arms crossed my chest
To restrain my desperate heart from screaming your name
And they roll me away
Which room soft to the touch
Like your plastic flesh
(Oooh I like that)
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
You can't leave, I cannot stay
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
It's not safe, baby, it's not safe
Lyrics submitted by fedorov1fan
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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this song is just amazing