"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.
We were raised by wolves
And we are still wild
And we howl when the troubled wind blows
And in the TV's blue light
Oh, assassins will lie
Every wail just a-goin' down slow
So don't tread on me
For I am your brother
I was born with an American heart
And don't tread on her
For she is your sister
She was born with an American heart
All the people you meet
Down in the streets
May be good but they don't wanna know
So they cover their eyes, for
Who wants to be sad?
Life is sweet at the bottom of the sea
And don't tread on me
For I am your brother
I was born with an American heart
And don't tread on her
For she is your sister
She was born with an American heart
And the mothers will cry,
Fathers stay up all night
With the worry that goes to the bones
And if your God makes war
Then he's no God I know
'Cause Christ would not send boys to die
And don't tread on me
For I am your brother
I was born with an American heart
And don't tread on her
For she is your sister
She was born with an American heart
Don't you get low as hell
When the peace dove is felled
By men with the blackest of minds
And above the din
Let the sighin' begin
As we're bound for the longest of days
So don't tread on me
For I am your brother
I was born with an American heart
And don't tread on her
For she is your sister
She was born with an American heart
And we are still wild
And we howl when the troubled wind blows
And in the TV's blue light
Oh, assassins will lie
Every wail just a-goin' down slow
So don't tread on me
For I am your brother
I was born with an American heart
And don't tread on her
For she is your sister
She was born with an American heart
All the people you meet
Down in the streets
May be good but they don't wanna know
So they cover their eyes, for
Who wants to be sad?
Life is sweet at the bottom of the sea
And don't tread on me
For I am your brother
I was born with an American heart
And don't tread on her
For she is your sister
She was born with an American heart
And the mothers will cry,
Fathers stay up all night
With the worry that goes to the bones
And if your God makes war
Then he's no God I know
'Cause Christ would not send boys to die
And don't tread on me
For I am your brother
I was born with an American heart
And don't tread on her
For she is your sister
She was born with an American heart
Don't you get low as hell
When the peace dove is felled
By men with the blackest of minds
And above the din
Let the sighin' begin
As we're bound for the longest of days
So don't tread on me
For I am your brother
I was born with an American heart
And don't tread on her
For she is your sister
She was born with an American heart
Lyrics submitted by bugoff
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