"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 have come 500 miles
Just to see a halo
Come from St. Petersburg
Scarlett and me
Well I open my eyes
I was blind as can be
When you give a man luck
He must fall in the sea
And she wants you
To steal and get caught
For she loves you
For all that you are not
[Chorus]
When you're
Falling down, falling down
When you're falling down
Falling down, falling down
You forget all the roses
Don't come around on Sunday
She's not gonna choose you
For standing so tall
Go on and take a swig
Of that poison and like it
And don't ask
For silverware
Don't ask for nothing
Go on and put your ear
To the ground
You know you will be
Hearing that sound
[Chorus]
Falling down
You're falling down
Falling down, falling down
Falling down, falling down
When you're falling down
Falling down, falling down
Go on down and see
That wrecking ball
Come swinging on along
Everyone knew
That hotel was a goner
They broke all the windows
They took all the door knobs
And they hauled it away
In a couple of days
Now someone yell timber
And take off your hat
It's a lot smaller down
Here on the ground
[Chorus]
You're falling down
Falling down, falling down
Falling down, falling down
Falling down
[Chorus]
Someone's falling down
Falling down, falling down
Falling down, falling down
Falling down
Just to see a halo
Come from St. Petersburg
Scarlett and me
Well I open my eyes
I was blind as can be
When you give a man luck
He must fall in the sea
And she wants you
To steal and get caught
For she loves you
For all that you are not
[Chorus]
When you're
Falling down, falling down
When you're falling down
Falling down, falling down
You forget all the roses
Don't come around on Sunday
She's not gonna choose you
For standing so tall
Go on and take a swig
Of that poison and like it
And don't ask
For silverware
Don't ask for nothing
Go on and put your ear
To the ground
You know you will be
Hearing that sound
[Chorus]
Falling down
You're falling down
Falling down, falling down
Falling down, falling down
When you're falling down
Falling down, falling down
Go on down and see
That wrecking ball
Come swinging on along
Everyone knew
That hotel was a goner
They broke all the windows
They took all the door knobs
And they hauled it away
In a couple of days
Now someone yell timber
And take off your hat
It's a lot smaller down
Here on the ground
[Chorus]
You're falling down
Falling down, falling down
Falling down, falling down
Falling down
[Chorus]
Someone's falling down
Falling down, falling down
Falling down, falling down
Falling down
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Curious