"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 got something on my mind
I'm just a little bit depressed
I tried to blame it on the rain
But it was in my heart, I guess
I was feeling like a stranger
As I drove through my hometown
Past the sign that reads the boyhood home
Of a place that's long gone now
I realize ain't nothing what it used to be
Till I heard a song that takes me to my memories
The radio saved my life tonight
Old song that the DJ played made me feel all right
I made it home by my dashboard light
The radio saved my life tonight
It was just this side of morning
Just this side of dawn
I walked so soft into my bedroom
Saw my wife sleeping alone
She whispered "baby are you okay? have you been gone for long?"
I just kicked off my jeans and I held her close
I held her all night long
I tried to sleep
But in my mind I heard that song
Like a friend in need
The melody keeps me hanging on
The radio saved my life tonight
That old that the DJ played made me feel all right
I made it home by my dashboard light
The radio saved my life tonight
The radio--saved my life tonight
That sad song that the DJ played made me feel all right
As I drove down that lonesome highway, just me and my dashboard light
The radio saved my life tonight
The radio saved my life tonight
Old song that the DJ played made me feel all right
Made it home by my dashboard light
The radio saved my life tonight
The radio saved my life tonight
The radio saved my life tonight
I'm just a little bit depressed
I tried to blame it on the rain
But it was in my heart, I guess
I was feeling like a stranger
As I drove through my hometown
Past the sign that reads the boyhood home
Of a place that's long gone now
I realize ain't nothing what it used to be
Till I heard a song that takes me to my memories
The radio saved my life tonight
Old song that the DJ played made me feel all right
I made it home by my dashboard light
The radio saved my life tonight
It was just this side of morning
Just this side of dawn
I walked so soft into my bedroom
Saw my wife sleeping alone
She whispered "baby are you okay? have you been gone for long?"
I just kicked off my jeans and I held her close
I held her all night long
I tried to sleep
But in my mind I heard that song
Like a friend in need
The melody keeps me hanging on
The radio saved my life tonight
That old that the DJ played made me feel all right
I made it home by my dashboard light
The radio saved my life tonight
The radio--saved my life tonight
That sad song that the DJ played made me feel all right
As I drove down that lonesome highway, just me and my dashboard light
The radio saved my life tonight
The radio saved my life tonight
Old song that the DJ played made me feel all right
Made it home by my dashboard light
The radio saved my life tonight
The radio saved my life tonight
The radio saved my life tonight
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This song pretty much puts it perfectly. Its amazing how artists can do this. Who hasn't been down or depressed and sometime while driving in the car a song came on that is some way, shape, or form made you feel better for a few moments, if not talked you out of doing something stupid. For Jon, I think he was in a dark place in his life and the 'radio, truly saved his life'. Personally, i sang this song to my girlfriend as we were trying to climb the mountain just prior to Machu Picchu in Peru. She was having difficulty getting up the mountain and this is the first song i started to sing to her. "The Radio Saved My Life Tonight" will always mean the world to me.