"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.
(Let me tell you a little something about L.A)
(I love it)
Woo
Ooh-ooh, woo
City of angels, city of angels (alright) ooh-ooh
City of angels, city of angels (woo)
Now what you know about my city that's Tic Tac?
Hustle to get stacks
Fail, get laughed at
Even from here, I hear the chit chat
Grew up Miracle Mile
Fairfax to tar traps, Hamilton High alumni
What you know? Ham and cheese supreme
Jb to Carthay cat, L.A it be the base and the catalyst
Walk Crescent Heights worldwide back to strangle us
Land of the saint and the land of the wicked
Hollywood to Bell
The Manichean kick it
What a duality, arid reality
Devon Brown Shot
Minor technicality
Brad Pits cheatin' front page reality
Stanley Miller Beatin'
Da don't want to touch it
But I love my city
Soft yet rugged
Rep L.A, I know the Angels will love it, c'mon
City of angels, city of angels (alright) ooh-ooh
City of angels, city of angels
Ay, yo yo, I let the beat talk
Then I just fill in the words
It's Jabulani that you're dealing with
My hood is tough like its Clubber Lang
So in the bucket, I bump behind mac in the gutter lane
I write raps when I feel the pain or even sorrow
But you heard it before the sun will come out tomorrow, or so they say
But see we're living in L.A. And what you thought was the sun, was just a flash from the K
You stashing your weed in the passenger seat of the Regal with the gold feet
Watch your back, lil' homie got a loaded MAC on Figueroa
Just got a new girl, his rep he's finna show her
But slow down baby gangsta, you ain't prepared for the truth
You got him and it's gonna happen to you
Ain't gotta live how your homie do
Just work the angles
The city I'm from is Los Angels
Come on
City of angels, (woo) city of angels, ooh-ooh
City of angels, (alright) city of angels
City of angels, (woo) city of angels, ooh-ooh
City of angels, city of angels
Where you from ese? (L.a, yeah, city yeah)
Get ready
Only the strong survive, alright
Woo, L.A (L.A I love it)
City of angels, (woo) city of angels, ooh-ooh
City of angels, city of angels (L.A, yeah, city yeah)
City of angels, (woo) city of angels, ooh-ooh
City of angels, city of angels (oh-oh, yeah)
City of angels, (woo) city of angels, ooh-ooh (oh yeah)
City of angels (I love it)
(I love it)
Woo
Ooh-ooh, woo
City of angels, city of angels (alright) ooh-ooh
City of angels, city of angels (woo)
Now what you know about my city that's Tic Tac?
Hustle to get stacks
Fail, get laughed at
Even from here, I hear the chit chat
Grew up Miracle Mile
Fairfax to tar traps, Hamilton High alumni
What you know? Ham and cheese supreme
Jb to Carthay cat, L.A it be the base and the catalyst
Walk Crescent Heights worldwide back to strangle us
Land of the saint and the land of the wicked
Hollywood to Bell
The Manichean kick it
What a duality, arid reality
Devon Brown Shot
Minor technicality
Brad Pits cheatin' front page reality
Stanley Miller Beatin'
Da don't want to touch it
But I love my city
Soft yet rugged
Rep L.A, I know the Angels will love it, c'mon
City of angels, city of angels (alright) ooh-ooh
City of angels, city of angels
Ay, yo yo, I let the beat talk
Then I just fill in the words
It's Jabulani that you're dealing with
My hood is tough like its Clubber Lang
So in the bucket, I bump behind mac in the gutter lane
I write raps when I feel the pain or even sorrow
But you heard it before the sun will come out tomorrow, or so they say
But see we're living in L.A. And what you thought was the sun, was just a flash from the K
You stashing your weed in the passenger seat of the Regal with the gold feet
Watch your back, lil' homie got a loaded MAC on Figueroa
Just got a new girl, his rep he's finna show her
But slow down baby gangsta, you ain't prepared for the truth
You got him and it's gonna happen to you
Ain't gotta live how your homie do
Just work the angles
The city I'm from is Los Angels
Come on
City of angels, (woo) city of angels, ooh-ooh
City of angels, (alright) city of angels
City of angels, (woo) city of angels, ooh-ooh
City of angels, city of angels
Where you from ese? (L.a, yeah, city yeah)
Get ready
Only the strong survive, alright
Woo, L.A (L.A I love it)
City of angels, (woo) city of angels, ooh-ooh
City of angels, city of angels (L.A, yeah, city yeah)
City of angels, (woo) city of angels, ooh-ooh
City of angels, city of angels (oh-oh, yeah)
City of angels, (woo) city of angels, ooh-ooh (oh yeah)
City of angels (I love it)
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