"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.
He went to see for a day
He wanted to know what to say
when he asked what he'd done
in the past to someone
that he loved endlessly...
now she's gone, and so is he...
i went to war every morning
i lost my way, but now I'm following
what you said in my arms...
what i read in the charms
that i loved durably
now it's dead and gone, and i am free...
i went to sleep for the daytime
i shut my eyes to the sunshine
turned my head away from the noise
bruise and drip decay of childish toys
that i love arguably
all our labouring gone to seed
we went out to play for the evening
and wanted to hold on to the feeling
and the stretch in the sun
and the breathlessness as we run
to the beach endlessly
as the sun creeps up on the sea...
He wanted to know what to say
when he asked what he'd done
in the past to someone
that he loved endlessly...
now she's gone, and so is he...
i went to war every morning
i lost my way, but now I'm following
what you said in my arms...
what i read in the charms
that i loved durably
now it's dead and gone, and i am free...
i went to sleep for the daytime
i shut my eyes to the sunshine
turned my head away from the noise
bruise and drip decay of childish toys
that i love arguably
all our labouring gone to seed
we went out to play for the evening
and wanted to hold on to the feeling
and the stretch in the sun
and the breathlessness as we run
to the beach endlessly
as the sun creeps up on the sea...
Lyrics submitted by d15k0zach
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