"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 was never any good at loving you
I was never any good at coming
Through for you
You're going to feel much better
When you cut me loose forever
I was never any good
Never any good
I was never any good at loving you
I was dying when we met
I bet my life on you
But you called me and I folded
Like you knew I'd do
You called my ace, my king, my bluff
Okay, you win, enough's enough
I was never any good
Never any good
I was never any good at loving you
I was pretty good at taking out
The garbage
Pretty good at holding up the wall
Dealing with the fire and the earthquake
But that don't count
That don't count
That don't count for nothing much at all
I was never any good at loving you
I was just a tourist in your bed looking
At the view
But I can't forget where my lips
Have been
Those holy hills, that deep ravine
I was never any good
Never any good
I was never any good at loving you
I was pretty good at taking out the garbage
Pretty good at holding up the wall
I'm sorry for my crimes against
The moonlight
I didn't think
I didn't think
I didn't think the moon would mind at all
I was never any good at loving you
At doing what a woman really wants
A man to do
You're going to feel much better
When you cut me loose forever
I was never any good
Never any good
I was never any good at loving you
I was never any good at coming
Through for you
You're going to feel much better
When you cut me loose forever
I was never any good
Never any good
I was never any good at loving you
I was dying when we met
I bet my life on you
But you called me and I folded
Like you knew I'd do
You called my ace, my king, my bluff
Okay, you win, enough's enough
I was never any good
Never any good
I was never any good at loving you
I was pretty good at taking out
The garbage
Pretty good at holding up the wall
Dealing with the fire and the earthquake
But that don't count
That don't count
That don't count for nothing much at all
I was never any good at loving you
I was just a tourist in your bed looking
At the view
But I can't forget where my lips
Have been
Those holy hills, that deep ravine
I was never any good
Never any good
I was never any good at loving you
I was pretty good at taking out the garbage
Pretty good at holding up the wall
I'm sorry for my crimes against
The moonlight
I didn't think
I didn't think
I didn't think the moon would mind at all
I was never any good at loving you
At doing what a woman really wants
A man to do
You're going to feel much better
When you cut me loose forever
I was never any good
Never any good
I was never any good at loving you
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This song is the opposite of
"You ain't seen nothin yet".
RJ