"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.
Whoa oh oh ow
How can I find the way to tell you this
But things you seem to do all over me
Read the dictionary
Understand the meaning: I want you to myself exclusively
Kinda funny how the love has come and gone
Not trying to look grown
To all the fellas trying to look
I'm sorry that I took available out
Seven on the car seat
Six by the back street
Five on the concrete (How many bottles on the wall)
Four by the window
Three in the shadow
Two only but
You're my one only bottle on the wall
I tell no lie you made me fall blind to all the other guys within my life
It's not complicated when you find the one it's easy to begin to realize
Kinda funny how the love has come and gone
Not trying to look grown
To all the fellas trying to look
I'm sorry that I took available out
Seven on the car seat
Six by the back street
Five on the concrete (How many bottles on the wall)
Four by the window
Three in the shadow
Two only but
You're my one only bottle on the
Seven in the cafe
Six in the alley
Five by the motorway (How many bottles on the wall)
Four on the underground
Three in the jail pound
Two only but
You're my one only bottle on the wall
I knew that if I fell in love, then yes it would just be
Oh no, but then the world became so linear to me
Seven on the car seat
Six by the back street
Five on the concrete (How many bottles on the wall)
Four by the window
Three in the shadow
Two only but
You're my one only bottle on the
Seven in the cafe
Six in the alley
Five by the motorway (How many bottles on the wall)
Four on the underground
Three in the jail pound
Two only but
You're my one only bottle on the wall!
How can I find the way to tell you this
But things you seem to do all over me
Read the dictionary
Understand the meaning: I want you to myself exclusively
Kinda funny how the love has come and gone
Not trying to look grown
To all the fellas trying to look
I'm sorry that I took available out
Seven on the car seat
Six by the back street
Five on the concrete (How many bottles on the wall)
Four by the window
Three in the shadow
Two only but
You're my one only bottle on the wall
I tell no lie you made me fall blind to all the other guys within my life
It's not complicated when you find the one it's easy to begin to realize
Kinda funny how the love has come and gone
Not trying to look grown
To all the fellas trying to look
I'm sorry that I took available out
Seven on the car seat
Six by the back street
Five on the concrete (How many bottles on the wall)
Four by the window
Three in the shadow
Two only but
You're my one only bottle on the
Seven in the cafe
Six in the alley
Five by the motorway (How many bottles on the wall)
Four on the underground
Three in the jail pound
Two only but
You're my one only bottle on the wall
I knew that if I fell in love, then yes it would just be
Oh no, but then the world became so linear to me
Seven on the car seat
Six by the back street
Five on the concrete (How many bottles on the wall)
Four by the window
Three in the shadow
Two only but
You're my one only bottle on the
Seven in the cafe
Six in the alley
Five by the motorway (How many bottles on the wall)
Four on the underground
Three in the jail pound
Two only but
You're my one only bottle on the wall!
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