"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.
This story's a sad one, the sort that you hear all the time
But this time I'll bore you with details and open your mind
It's the tale of a young girl who once was the talk of the town
The first time I saw her the skin was so thin on her bones
Her eyes they were lost on that street though she called it her home
So I thought, can I save her, can I get her out of harms way
And she looked at me with those eyes so what could I say
So I said, what's your name
And she said, you're all the same
So I said, don't act so strange
I only asked your name
The stars in the night sky she'd seen only once in her life
But stars over girls parts on cold cut she sees every night
She said, somewhere in my tattooed jungle you will find my mum
But she will disown me should she ever learn what I've done
And she said, what became
Of my promised fame
All I got was shame
And she said, you're all to blame
And then her eyes said, don't you leave me standing on my own
Can't you see that the street side is my home
I'm held by men at night but still I'm cold
I'm so lonely but you know I'm not alone, I'm not alone, I'm not alone
She had hair like a willow tree choked at the side of the road
Cardboard boxes for pillows she weeps as she reaps what she sows
So I asked her if one day she'd mind joining me in my grave
You know like them big ones you see with the family name
But she said all she'd ever been
Was a hoar and a slave
And she didn't know
If she had any soul left to save
And she said, why do you care
So I said, because I did
Ever since I saw you standing there
Well, I couldn't help but stare
And then her eyes said don't you leave me standing on my own
Can't you see that the street side is my home
I'm held by men at night but still I'm cold
I'm so lonely but you know I'm not alone, I'm not alone, I'm not alone
And she must have had the most lonely face I've ever known
Yeah, she must have had the most lonely face I've ever known
Well, I tried to hold on but my grip it just was not that strong
And I can still see her eyes as she fell and she fell for so long
If you ever see her I hope you succeed where I failed
You know I cried for the cutey of kings cross the day she derailed
Oh, somebody please can you save her and take her away
You know London will kill her, you can't let the smoke have its way
But this time I'll bore you with details and open your mind
It's the tale of a young girl who once was the talk of the town
The first time I saw her the skin was so thin on her bones
Her eyes they were lost on that street though she called it her home
So I thought, can I save her, can I get her out of harms way
And she looked at me with those eyes so what could I say
So I said, what's your name
And she said, you're all the same
So I said, don't act so strange
I only asked your name
The stars in the night sky she'd seen only once in her life
But stars over girls parts on cold cut she sees every night
She said, somewhere in my tattooed jungle you will find my mum
But she will disown me should she ever learn what I've done
And she said, what became
Of my promised fame
All I got was shame
And she said, you're all to blame
And then her eyes said, don't you leave me standing on my own
Can't you see that the street side is my home
I'm held by men at night but still I'm cold
I'm so lonely but you know I'm not alone, I'm not alone, I'm not alone
She had hair like a willow tree choked at the side of the road
Cardboard boxes for pillows she weeps as she reaps what she sows
So I asked her if one day she'd mind joining me in my grave
You know like them big ones you see with the family name
But she said all she'd ever been
Was a hoar and a slave
And she didn't know
If she had any soul left to save
And she said, why do you care
So I said, because I did
Ever since I saw you standing there
Well, I couldn't help but stare
And then her eyes said don't you leave me standing on my own
Can't you see that the street side is my home
I'm held by men at night but still I'm cold
I'm so lonely but you know I'm not alone, I'm not alone, I'm not alone
And she must have had the most lonely face I've ever known
Yeah, she must have had the most lonely face I've ever known
Well, I tried to hold on but my grip it just was not that strong
And I can still see her eyes as she fell and she fell for so long
If you ever see her I hope you succeed where I failed
You know I cried for the cutey of kings cross the day she derailed
Oh, somebody please can you save her and take her away
You know London will kill her, you can't let the smoke have its way
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Fast Car
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Great version of a great song,
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'The stars in the night sky she'd seen only once in her life but stars over girls parts on coldcut she sees every night' should be 'The stars in the night sky she'd seen only once in her life but stars over girls parts on CALL CARDS she sees every night'
Makes much more sense :)