"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.
I lay this out on the table
Only if you catch me
Call me out on this fable
Just to hear my story
I will look you in the eye
Say those words that make you melt inside
History repeats again just like me
This will never end I will never end
I’ll be as sketchy as this pen and paper
Sending you to war without a weapon
Using my ability to get your sympathy
The only thing this is, its apathy
Just one more
You’ve seen this so many times yet you can’t walk away
Behind closed doors
Lights out you think you know me
So delicately I wanted more
So I lied and betrayed you
This must be love
How could you miss the doubtful look in my eyes?
When I told you that this felt right
I will kiss your lips again
With the passion that you only see in movies
I’ll set you up to take this fall
Make you think that I am perfect I’m so perfect
I own the blueprints to your heart
And just like mines on a battlefield
I’ll use these phone calls so strategically
Placing them perfectly
Only if you catch me
Call me out on this fable
Just to hear my story
I will look you in the eye
Say those words that make you melt inside
History repeats again just like me
This will never end I will never end
I’ll be as sketchy as this pen and paper
Sending you to war without a weapon
Using my ability to get your sympathy
The only thing this is, its apathy
Just one more
You’ve seen this so many times yet you can’t walk away
Behind closed doors
Lights out you think you know me
So delicately I wanted more
So I lied and betrayed you
This must be love
How could you miss the doubtful look in my eyes?
When I told you that this felt right
I will kiss your lips again
With the passion that you only see in movies
I’ll set you up to take this fall
Make you think that I am perfect I’m so perfect
I own the blueprints to your heart
And just like mines on a battlefield
I’ll use these phone calls so strategically
Placing them perfectly
Lyrics submitted by samxsophisticated
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