"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.
Could've been a night like any other
One of us has to drive
One of us gets to think
I'll force a laugh to break the silence
It's gonna get harder still
Before it gets easy
You can't keep safe what whats to break
[Chorus:]
I'm alone in this
I'm as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's lost in this
She's like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
I was just a boy like every other
I thought I was something fierce
I thought I was ten times smarter
Love would be something that I just know
(Something I just know)
How you gonna know the feeling till you've lost it
I've been losing plenty since
I'm alone in this
I'm as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's lost in this
She's like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
Maybe something else I'm missing
Something good and your the reason
It's a dream but there's a real long wedding
I'm alone in this
I'm as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's lost in this
She's like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
I'm alone in this
I'm as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's lost in this
She's like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
One of us has to drive
One of us gets to think
I'll force a laugh to break the silence
It's gonna get harder still
Before it gets easy
You can't keep safe what whats to break
[Chorus:]
I'm alone in this
I'm as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's lost in this
She's like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
I was just a boy like every other
I thought I was something fierce
I thought I was ten times smarter
Love would be something that I just know
(Something I just know)
How you gonna know the feeling till you've lost it
I've been losing plenty since
I'm alone in this
I'm as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's lost in this
She's like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
Maybe something else I'm missing
Something good and your the reason
It's a dream but there's a real long wedding
I'm alone in this
I'm as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's lost in this
She's like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
I'm alone in this
I'm as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's lost in this
She's like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach
Lyrics submitted by Pocketmoonlight, edited by betaLyrae, Skoobasteve24
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Fast Car
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Great version of a great song,
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Small correction and explanation on the chorus:
I'm alone in this I'm a "as-I've-always-been" Right behind what's happening She's a "lost-in-this" She's a light She'll always be a little far for me to reach
"As-I've-Always-Been" and "Lost-in-This" in the way you could refer to someone as a "has-been" or "never-was". I think anyway... I didn't write it. Just my lil lyrical interpretation. Hope this helps.