"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.
Do you ever wonder about the Lord above
with all this wholesale killing?
Do you wonder why he's detached
and not altogether willing
to jump into the fray
and wipe the stain away
do you ever wonder?
Do you ever wonder about religion
and looking up towards the sky
me blowing you up when you don't believe
in the same God as I
or you can kill me
and then He'll see
do you ever wonder?
Do you ever wonder about the president
and what goes through his head
when he Turns on the TV
and sees another soldier dead
maybe he wishes it all away
maybe bows his head to pray
do you ever wonder?
Do you ever wonder about Rwanda
and what happened there
or is the truth of it just too much
for a God fearing mind to bear
blood still stains the ground
the dead still don't make a sound
do you ever wonder?
Do you ever wonder if there is a God
maybe it's all been a lie
and there's a whole lotta nothing waiting for us
when we lay down to die
would that make you feel
like you got a bum deal
do you ever wonder?
with all this wholesale killing?
Do you wonder why he's detached
and not altogether willing
to jump into the fray
and wipe the stain away
do you ever wonder?
Do you ever wonder about religion
and looking up towards the sky
me blowing you up when you don't believe
in the same God as I
or you can kill me
and then He'll see
do you ever wonder?
Do you ever wonder about the president
and what goes through his head
when he Turns on the TV
and sees another soldier dead
maybe he wishes it all away
maybe bows his head to pray
do you ever wonder?
Do you ever wonder about Rwanda
and what happened there
or is the truth of it just too much
for a God fearing mind to bear
blood still stains the ground
the dead still don't make a sound
do you ever wonder?
Do you ever wonder if there is a God
maybe it's all been a lie
and there's a whole lotta nothing waiting for us
when we lay down to die
would that make you feel
like you got a bum deal
do you ever wonder?
Lyrics submitted by azkm
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