"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.
Paper dolls and broken skin
Feels like these walls are caving in
As she watched the sun come up again this morning
Empty bottles down the hall
Love letters scribbled on the walls
And she can't seem to find the strength to smile
And it feels like everyday
Just gets harder to breathe inside this place
And..
(Chorus)
Won't you please come home to me?
I've been living with these old memories
And i just might have to burn this old house down
'Cause you ain't coming around.
So..lets get back to the way we were before
I stopped living on the day you slammed the door
Feelings take a lifetime to change
And i just can't wait anymore.
No..
Empty boxes on the floor
Lost feelings left outside the door
Searching for a way to make it right
A distant broken tangled mess
Scattered memories in her head
Still she can't seem to find the truth inside
It feels like one of these days
There's gonna be some way for me to find my place
(Chorus)
No..
Feelings take a lifetime to change
And i just can't wait alone.
Broken pictures on the floor
The echoes of our life before
She's got her head down screaming
(Chorus)
Won't you please come home to me?
I've been living with these old memories
And i just might have to burn this old house down
'Cause you ain't coming around.
So..lets get back to the way we were before
I stopped living on the day you slammed the door
Feelings take a lifetime to change
Will you take a lifetime to change?
'Cause I just can't wait anymore
No..
Feels like these walls are caving in
As she watched the sun come up again this morning
Empty bottles down the hall
Love letters scribbled on the walls
And she can't seem to find the strength to smile
And it feels like everyday
Just gets harder to breathe inside this place
And..
(Chorus)
Won't you please come home to me?
I've been living with these old memories
And i just might have to burn this old house down
'Cause you ain't coming around.
So..lets get back to the way we were before
I stopped living on the day you slammed the door
Feelings take a lifetime to change
And i just can't wait anymore.
No..
Empty boxes on the floor
Lost feelings left outside the door
Searching for a way to make it right
A distant broken tangled mess
Scattered memories in her head
Still she can't seem to find the truth inside
It feels like one of these days
There's gonna be some way for me to find my place
(Chorus)
No..
Feelings take a lifetime to change
And i just can't wait alone.
Broken pictures on the floor
The echoes of our life before
She's got her head down screaming
(Chorus)
Won't you please come home to me?
I've been living with these old memories
And i just might have to burn this old house down
'Cause you ain't coming around.
So..lets get back to the way we were before
I stopped living on the day you slammed the door
Feelings take a lifetime to change
Will you take a lifetime to change?
'Cause I just can't wait anymore
No..
Lyrics submitted by poplock22
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Fast Car
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Great version of a great song,
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