"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.
By cover of the moon I become one with the night
By cover of the waves I sleep on a bed of waving sand so sweetly
I dream of life, the life I lead when I come to you
Remember new years day?
We left the bed unmade
Back at my sister's house
Back when we drank too much
I love you then like a seed in the ground
Making up for lost time we can't get back
Getting out of trouble, you stay out of trouble
Flying with the lost boys, doing your hair
Waiting for the comeback, come and get it
Find a fight, a fire fight
Find a fight, a fire fight
Call your brother up, Soda Pop
Tell him we need him, yeah, well things have changed
Pick a night, any night
I was knocked down, she was knocked up
We went downtown, we got fucked up
Stayed up all night, took the train home
Woke up at three, talked on the phone
Bullet proof, there's no proof we could survive
Overnight, it's alright
We got the got the gang still and we could meet at that old place
Find a fight, a fire fight
Find a fight, a fire fight
Making up for lost time we can't get back
Getting out of trouble, you stay out of trouble
Flying with the lost boys, doing your hair
Wait for her to come back
By cover of the waves I sleep on a bed of waving sand so sweetly
I dream of life, the life I lead when I come to you
Remember new years day?
We left the bed unmade
Back at my sister's house
Back when we drank too much
I love you then like a seed in the ground
Making up for lost time we can't get back
Getting out of trouble, you stay out of trouble
Flying with the lost boys, doing your hair
Waiting for the comeback, come and get it
Find a fight, a fire fight
Find a fight, a fire fight
Call your brother up, Soda Pop
Tell him we need him, yeah, well things have changed
Pick a night, any night
I was knocked down, she was knocked up
We went downtown, we got fucked up
Stayed up all night, took the train home
Woke up at three, talked on the phone
Bullet proof, there's no proof we could survive
Overnight, it's alright
We got the got the gang still and we could meet at that old place
Find a fight, a fire fight
Find a fight, a fire fight
Making up for lost time we can't get back
Getting out of trouble, you stay out of trouble
Flying with the lost boys, doing your hair
Wait for her to come back
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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