"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 used to look out from my window and see the tall grass in the wind.
Standing there just like advance guards waiting for the battle to begin.
My mother used to be much younger. She'd sing me soft, sweet lullabies.
I saw my fortress in the mountains each time I looked into her eyes.
But now she's gone,
Take me there, take me there, I don't care where we go.
Take me I just want to know what I used to know.
Take me there, take me there, I don't care where we go.
Take me there, take me I just want to go.
My father's hair has turned to grey now. I never stopped to ask him why.
And all the things that he onced treasured, I see them slowly drifting by.
And now I look out from my mountain and see the soldiers in the field.
It won't be long now 'til they have me. This time advance guards are for real.
Come on, come on and
Take me there, take me there, I don't care where we go.
Take me I just want to know what I used to know.
Take me there, take me there, I don't care where we go.
Take me there, take me I just want to go.
Standing there just like advance guards waiting for the battle to begin.
My mother used to be much younger. She'd sing me soft, sweet lullabies.
I saw my fortress in the mountains each time I looked into her eyes.
But now she's gone,
Take me there, take me there, I don't care where we go.
Take me I just want to know what I used to know.
Take me there, take me there, I don't care where we go.
Take me there, take me I just want to go.
My father's hair has turned to grey now. I never stopped to ask him why.
And all the things that he onced treasured, I see them slowly drifting by.
And now I look out from my mountain and see the soldiers in the field.
It won't be long now 'til they have me. This time advance guards are for real.
Come on, come on and
Take me there, take me there, I don't care where we go.
Take me I just want to know what I used to know.
Take me there, take me there, I don't care where we go.
Take me there, take me I just want to go.
Lyrics submitted by Cyberghost
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