"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.
People say that I loved you too much
Because I think about you now
And it's been two years
Images of you with him
Play again and again inside my head
I hope you fall
I hope you fail
If you ever loved me
If you ever knew me
You should know that I am gone
If you ever loved me
If you ever knew me
Dedicate a place for me
Thoughts of you
Flow into me like poison
No one can see
No one can feel
I'm too small
I'm too big
Too blind to see you're shining
Way over head
I hope you fall
If you ever loved me
If you ever knew me
You should know that I am gone
If you ever loved me
If you ever knew me
Dedicate a place for me
I'm gone and forgotten
I'm gone like I never existed at all
If you ever loved me
If you ever knew me
You should know that I am gone
Have you ever needed
Have you ever needed
Dedicate a place for me
Dedicate a place for me
Because I think about you now
And it's been two years
Images of you with him
Play again and again inside my head
I hope you fall
I hope you fail
If you ever loved me
If you ever knew me
You should know that I am gone
If you ever loved me
If you ever knew me
Dedicate a place for me
Thoughts of you
Flow into me like poison
No one can see
No one can feel
I'm too small
I'm too big
Too blind to see you're shining
Way over head
I hope you fall
If you ever loved me
If you ever knew me
You should know that I am gone
If you ever loved me
If you ever knew me
Dedicate a place for me
I'm gone and forgotten
I'm gone like I never existed at all
If you ever loved me
If you ever knew me
You should know that I am gone
Have you ever needed
Have you ever needed
Dedicate a place for me
Dedicate a place for me
Lyrics submitted by Violaine
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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