"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.
The ship was sinking; we were drinking, singing one last song
Casting our gold into the ocean
You grabbed a bucket, started screaming, "Come on, come on"
Just try to slow the downward motion
Back in the kingdom, we were kings and queens and oh, so strong
That god himself could not contain us
We never thought we'd be the shorter end of sword and gun
Now god himself could never save us
Waves of silver, waves of gold
Are coming down to take me
Separate my body from my soul
And Jesus either leaves or takes me
Hopes of heaven, fears of hell
What's the chance I'll make it?
When all my other plans have failed
And I tried so hard to fake it
We started sinking, drinking water from the open sea
Losing our bodies to the ocean
You grabbed my hand and started screaming, "rescue me"
Together fight that downward motion
Back in the kingdom we were kings and queens and oh, so free
That god himself just had to show us
We never thought we'd be the colder side of land and sea
But he's the only one who knows us
Waves of silver, waves of gold
Are coming down to take me
Separate my body from my soul
And Jesus either leaves or takes me
Hopes of heaven, fears of hell
What's the chance I'll make it?
When all my other plans have failed
And I tried so hard to fake it
Casting our gold into the ocean
You grabbed a bucket, started screaming, "Come on, come on"
Just try to slow the downward motion
Back in the kingdom, we were kings and queens and oh, so strong
That god himself could not contain us
We never thought we'd be the shorter end of sword and gun
Now god himself could never save us
Waves of silver, waves of gold
Are coming down to take me
Separate my body from my soul
And Jesus either leaves or takes me
Hopes of heaven, fears of hell
What's the chance I'll make it?
When all my other plans have failed
And I tried so hard to fake it
We started sinking, drinking water from the open sea
Losing our bodies to the ocean
You grabbed my hand and started screaming, "rescue me"
Together fight that downward motion
Back in the kingdom we were kings and queens and oh, so free
That god himself just had to show us
We never thought we'd be the colder side of land and sea
But he's the only one who knows us
Waves of silver, waves of gold
Are coming down to take me
Separate my body from my soul
And Jesus either leaves or takes me
Hopes of heaven, fears of hell
What's the chance I'll make it?
When all my other plans have failed
And I tried so hard to fake it
Lyrics submitted by iamthenightstars, edited by Stockholm
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