"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.
hide the blanket children in the back
sleep in consciousness they lack
curse the young who appear as the old
escape the border between desolate and gold
pass collected rowdy sons of song
the arms of seattle is where they belong
wake up when jim bean greets our hands
run to the clock tower, run to the bay salty sails
oh the greens and reds collide
they'll keep me alive tonight
oh i needed that talk with you
when you did not the make the time
for the blues, for the blues
yell for the sake of seven souls
make a train with us, help us reach our goals
give us somewhere to lay our heads
be a southern gentleman
give us sheets, your beds
oh the oranges and yellows collide
they'll keep me sober tonight
oh i meant it when i said it's you
when you broke down right in time
for the blues, for the blues
take a picture of the american kids
walked a four mason(?) with a cigarette lit
accidently, convience i'll stay
act clueless when the three we promise
makes 6, makes 7, makes 8
oh the purples and pinks collide
they'll keep me sewn together tonight
oh i could have said so much more to you
when you called me right in time
for the blues, for the blues
where were you for the blues?
where were you for the blues?
sleep in consciousness they lack
curse the young who appear as the old
escape the border between desolate and gold
pass collected rowdy sons of song
the arms of seattle is where they belong
wake up when jim bean greets our hands
run to the clock tower, run to the bay salty sails
oh the greens and reds collide
they'll keep me alive tonight
oh i needed that talk with you
when you did not the make the time
for the blues, for the blues
yell for the sake of seven souls
make a train with us, help us reach our goals
give us somewhere to lay our heads
be a southern gentleman
give us sheets, your beds
oh the oranges and yellows collide
they'll keep me sober tonight
oh i meant it when i said it's you
when you broke down right in time
for the blues, for the blues
take a picture of the american kids
walked a four mason(?) with a cigarette lit
accidently, convience i'll stay
act clueless when the three we promise
makes 6, makes 7, makes 8
oh the purples and pinks collide
they'll keep me sewn together tonight
oh i could have said so much more to you
when you called me right in time
for the blues, for the blues
where were you for the blues?
where were you for the blues?
Lyrics submitted by yourdramastory
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I think I interpret this from personal experience. To me it seems to be about a young couple that have been in each other's lives for a really long time. But it seems like when she's in pain he tended to not always be there for her, so she would paint to comfort herself. She feels unsupported and it's taking a tole on their relationship.