"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.
saturday and no one knows it
what a day to make the biggest mistake
left myself all alone and stranded
wondering when i'll see you again
and to know
summertime is when i'll miss you
you think you're doing
alright right now
but i hope you're wrong
why do we turn towards the tragic
side so quick when life dims for a moment
(prechorus)
so get off the line
you gave up your position
thought it better to shoot myself
and see what's next
there's nothing left
and she adds
(chorus)
well no more
where you been now
cos i'm with him
you've no right or
reason left to bring me so far back
when you want
nothing more than just to go again
all you want is someone to make
you feel like you did way back then
saturday and no one's calling
what a day to live the biggest mistake
can't get by on those old assumptions
so i wonder if i'll see you again
and still know
summertime is when i miss you
in one last thought maybe i'll get somewhere in your head
so i left and i went to your place
i'm still waiting for you to get back
it's 4 am
(prechorus)
so get off the line
can't go like nothing's changed
still thought it better
to shoot myself
and see what's left
you made a line
and she adds
(chorus)
(bridge)
and i spent all this time
pretending
that we're just better off this way
and you left second thoughts
behind you
you convinced yourself of the same
but i'm wrong
and you're wrong
and one day
we will know
make the call
until then no more
(chorus)
what a day to make the biggest mistake
left myself all alone and stranded
wondering when i'll see you again
and to know
summertime is when i'll miss you
you think you're doing
alright right now
but i hope you're wrong
why do we turn towards the tragic
side so quick when life dims for a moment
(prechorus)
so get off the line
you gave up your position
thought it better to shoot myself
and see what's next
there's nothing left
and she adds
(chorus)
well no more
where you been now
cos i'm with him
you've no right or
reason left to bring me so far back
when you want
nothing more than just to go again
all you want is someone to make
you feel like you did way back then
saturday and no one's calling
what a day to live the biggest mistake
can't get by on those old assumptions
so i wonder if i'll see you again
and still know
summertime is when i miss you
in one last thought maybe i'll get somewhere in your head
so i left and i went to your place
i'm still waiting for you to get back
it's 4 am
(prechorus)
so get off the line
can't go like nothing's changed
still thought it better
to shoot myself
and see what's left
you made a line
and she adds
(chorus)
(bridge)
and i spent all this time
pretending
that we're just better off this way
and you left second thoughts
behind you
you convinced yourself of the same
but i'm wrong
and you're wrong
and one day
we will know
make the call
until then no more
(chorus)
Lyrics submitted by rbf737
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Fast Car
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