"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.
if you save the princess from the castle
where she is kept by a cruel and evil spell
i will send a red raven to you
the raven will bring you all that you ask for
you only ask for water and food
you're pious and good for this i will reward you
with any other thing you can think to ask for
you only ask for my namesake star
for this request i'll fall in love with you
but you could not love me, for i have no human form
i am only a giver of things
rewards the deeds of braver men
living in moons with their wax and wane
i am only a giver of things
...but you could never fall in love with me
because i am just a giver and she could be your queen...
where she is kept by a cruel and evil spell
i will send a red raven to you
the raven will bring you all that you ask for
you only ask for water and food
you're pious and good for this i will reward you
with any other thing you can think to ask for
you only ask for my namesake star
for this request i'll fall in love with you
but you could not love me, for i have no human form
i am only a giver of things
rewards the deeds of braver men
living in moons with their wax and wane
i am only a giver of things
...but you could never fall in love with me
because i am just a giver and she could be your queen...
Lyrics submitted by churchgonewild
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Fast Car
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Or the song is about a girl who is totally pushed around or unpopular("a giver") who falls in love( "for this request I'll fall in love with you") with a boy for his noble deeds/personality/kindness, but he cannot and will not feel the same for her("But you could not love me") because he is out of her leauge or is already in love (..."because I am just a giver and she could be your queen.")