"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.
They're starting to open up the sky
They're starting to reach down through
And it feels like we're living in that split-second of a car crash
And time is slowing down
And if we only had a little more time
And this time is all there is
Do you remember the time we
And all the times we
And should have
And were going to
I know
And I know you remember
How we could justify it all
And we knew better
In our hearts, we knew better
And we told ourselves it didn't matter
And we chose to continue
And none of that matters anymore
In the hour of our twilight
And soon it will be all said and done
And we will all be back together as one
If we will continue at all
Shame on us
Doomed from the start
May god have mercy on our dirty little hearts
Shame on us
For all we've done
And all we ever were
Just zeros and ones
And you never get away
And you never get to take the easy way
And all of this is a consequence
Brought on by our own hand
If you believe in that sort of thing
And did you ever really find
When you closed your eyes
Any place that was still and at peace?
And I guess I just wanted to tell you
As the light starts to fade
That you are the reason
That I am not afraid
And I guess I just wanted to mention
As the heavens will fall
We will be together soon if we will be anything at all
Shame on us
Doomed from the start
May god have mercy on our dirty little hearts
Shame on us
For all we've done
And all we ever were
Just zeros and ones
Shame on us (shame on us)
Doomed from the start
May god have mercy on our dirty little hearts
Shame on us (shame on us)
For all we have done
And all we ever were
Just, just zeros and ones
They're starting to reach down through
And it feels like we're living in that split-second of a car crash
And time is slowing down
And if we only had a little more time
And this time is all there is
Do you remember the time we
And all the times we
And should have
And were going to
I know
And I know you remember
How we could justify it all
And we knew better
In our hearts, we knew better
And we told ourselves it didn't matter
And we chose to continue
And none of that matters anymore
In the hour of our twilight
And soon it will be all said and done
And we will all be back together as one
If we will continue at all
Shame on us
Doomed from the start
May god have mercy on our dirty little hearts
Shame on us
For all we've done
And all we ever were
Just zeros and ones
And you never get away
And you never get to take the easy way
And all of this is a consequence
Brought on by our own hand
If you believe in that sort of thing
And did you ever really find
When you closed your eyes
Any place that was still and at peace?
And I guess I just wanted to tell you
As the light starts to fade
That you are the reason
That I am not afraid
And I guess I just wanted to mention
As the heavens will fall
We will be together soon if we will be anything at all
Shame on us
Doomed from the start
May god have mercy on our dirty little hearts
Shame on us
For all we've done
And all we ever were
Just zeros and ones
Shame on us (shame on us)
Doomed from the start
May god have mercy on our dirty little hearts
Shame on us (shame on us)
For all we have done
And all we ever were
Just, just zeros and ones
Lyrics submitted by abhpro, edited by backwoodsbarbie
Zero-Sum Lyrics as written by Trent Reznor
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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It isn't Trent's fucking job to save us all, its OUR job. I think thats his point. He is just being nice enough to warn us to catchy music.