"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.
Well, after I ate I went outside
To catch some air
And to walk off my drink
And I rolled tobacco
And watched as the smoke rolled
And magically like you left me
And I made a firm fist and,
Pissed, thought it brilliant
To throw my hand into the door
I knew I would have to
Admit that I was wrong
I decided to talk no more
Anna, no.
What an embarrassing way to go.
If you wrote a list
Of the times I considered
To swim in my heavenly home
And God and His angels
Are all under water
And callin' my name once for all
Oh and I had this hat
That I lost in September
I miss you less than that, you know
Oh how can a man
Seek revenge on a woman
He wants to believe has no soul
No home.
Anna, no.
What an embarrassing way to go
To catch some air
And to walk off my drink
And I rolled tobacco
And watched as the smoke rolled
And magically like you left me
And I made a firm fist and,
Pissed, thought it brilliant
To throw my hand into the door
I knew I would have to
Admit that I was wrong
I decided to talk no more
Anna, no.
What an embarrassing way to go.
If you wrote a list
Of the times I considered
To swim in my heavenly home
And God and His angels
Are all under water
And callin' my name once for all
Oh and I had this hat
That I lost in September
I miss you less than that, you know
Oh how can a man
Seek revenge on a woman
He wants to believe has no soul
No home.
Anna, no.
What an embarrassing way to go
Lyrics submitted by IndeediKid
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Fast Car
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tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/r/right_away_great_captain/memories_from_a_shore_crd.htm