"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 I didn't tell anyone, but a bird flew by
Saw what I'd done he set up a nest outside,
And he sang about what I'd become
He sang so loud, sang so clear
I was afraid all the neighbours would hear,
So I invited him in, just to reason with him
I promised I wouldn't do it again
But he sang louder and louder inside the house,
And no I couldn't get him out
So I trapped him under a cardboard box
Stood on it to make him stop
I picked up the bird and above the din I said
That's the last song you'll ever sing
Held him down, broke his neck,
Taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget
But in my dreams began to creep
That old familiar tweet tweet tweet
I opened my mouth to scream and shout,
I waved my arms and flapped about
But I couldn't scream and I couldn't shout,
Couldn't scream and I couldn't shout
I opened my mouth to scream and shout
Waved my arms and flapped about
But I couldn't scream I couldn't shout,
The song was coming from my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
Saw what I'd done he set up a nest outside,
And he sang about what I'd become
He sang so loud, sang so clear
I was afraid all the neighbours would hear,
So I invited him in, just to reason with him
I promised I wouldn't do it again
But he sang louder and louder inside the house,
And no I couldn't get him out
So I trapped him under a cardboard box
Stood on it to make him stop
I picked up the bird and above the din I said
That's the last song you'll ever sing
Held him down, broke his neck,
Taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget
But in my dreams began to creep
That old familiar tweet tweet tweet
I opened my mouth to scream and shout,
I waved my arms and flapped about
But I couldn't scream and I couldn't shout,
Couldn't scream and I couldn't shout
I opened my mouth to scream and shout
Waved my arms and flapped about
But I couldn't scream I couldn't shout,
The song was coming from my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth
Lyrics submitted by canwegotothezoo
Bird Song Lyrics as written by Florence Leontine Mary Welch Devonte Hynes
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Even more this makes sense that the instrumentent version.
She ate it up but it's making her sing about her guilt in the song itself.