"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.
I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout how to give and take
But since I came here
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
See I'm a young soul
In this very strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout what is true and fake
But why all this hate?
Try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Ooh
This is a happy end
'Cause you don't understand
Everything you have done
Why's everything so wrong?
This is a happy end
Come and give me your hand
I'll take you far away
I'm a new soul (this is a happy end)
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout how to give and take
But since I came here (this is a happy end)
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake
I'm a new soul (la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
(La-la-la-la-la-la)
In this very strange world (la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
Making every possible mistake (la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
(La-la-la-la-la-la)
Possible mistake (la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
Every possible mistakes (la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes (la-la-la-la-la-la)
Mistakes, mistakes, more mistakes (la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
Mistakes (la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes, mistakes (la-la-la-la-la-la)
(La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
Take a mistake, take, take a mistake
Take, take a mistake, take
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout how to give and take
But since I came here
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
See I'm a young soul
In this very strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout what is true and fake
But why all this hate?
Try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Ooh
This is a happy end
'Cause you don't understand
Everything you have done
Why's everything so wrong?
This is a happy end
Come and give me your hand
I'll take you far away
I'm a new soul (this is a happy end)
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout how to give and take
But since I came here (this is a happy end)
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake
I'm a new soul (la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
(La-la-la-la-la-la)
In this very strange world (la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
Making every possible mistake (la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
(La-la-la-la-la-la)
Possible mistake (la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
Every possible mistakes (la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes (la-la-la-la-la-la)
Mistakes, mistakes, more mistakes (la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
Mistakes (la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes, mistakes (la-la-la-la-la-la)
(La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la)
Take a mistake, take, take a mistake
Take, take a mistake, take
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Fast Car
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I think this song is about an immigrant (new soul) coming to America (strange world) who wants to learn about capitalism (give and take).