"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.
In spite of all the consequence
In spite of all my pride
In spite of little things you said
That hide me deep inside
I believe your love
I breathe your love
Like the air in the morning
I sleep your love
I salute your love
And I can't get away
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
The lights of all you see
You could have overcome all this
And I still can't get over you
Are you someone I'll forever miss
I believed your love I can feel your love
And that's all that I wanted
I sleep your love I salute your love
And I can't get away
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
And there's the dark, begins to rain
The sound is heavy on me
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
Under the spell I wanna be under your touch
Under the spell I wanna be under the rush
Baby when the lights go out
Baby when the lights go out
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
In spite of all my pride
In spite of little things you said
That hide me deep inside
I believe your love
I breathe your love
Like the air in the morning
I sleep your love
I salute your love
And I can't get away
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
The lights of all you see
You could have overcome all this
And I still can't get over you
Are you someone I'll forever miss
I believed your love I can feel your love
And that's all that I wanted
I sleep your love I salute your love
And I can't get away
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
And there's the dark, begins to rain
The sound is heavy on me
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
Under the spell I wanna be under your touch
Under the spell I wanna be under the rush
Baby when the lights go out
Baby when the lights go out
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
Baby when the lights go out
I hear you calling (I hear you calling)
Baby when the lights go out
I need you
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Inspite of all the consequence Inspite of all my pride Inspite of little things you said That hurt me deep inside