"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 left the keys in the car, I left the door ajar
I didn't want to be alone (be alone)
These are the days and the nights of these sweet humbling heights
And I know it used to be home
Whisk me away, I'll be yours for a day
In heavenly fields which we roam
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
What are you doing? What you doing?
What ya doing to me? What are you doing to my head?
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
I give my heart on the morning of November 6th
Oh, everybody's looking for a fix, hey
Sell me a sign, I'll cut the telephone line
Just to keep the quotations alive
Oh, you're bleeding me dry but the feeling is blind
And I know you're looking divine
Sell me it straight, oh, it might be too late
Keep on breaking the rules, oh
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
What are you doing? What you doing?
What ya doing to me? What are you doing to my head?
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
I give my heart on the morning of November 6th
Oh, everybody's looking for a fix
And this love is diseased there's a cure
I need that medicine to get to the core
Remember this place, it's left to the fates
But it's true, it's kind to be cruel, oh
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
What are you doing? What you doing?
What ya doing to me? What are you doing to my head?
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
What are you doing? What you doing?
What ya doing to me? What are you doing to my head, my head?
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
What are you doing? What you doing?
What ya doing to me? What are you doing to my head, my head?
In my heart on the morning of November 6th
Oh, everybody's looking for a fix
I didn't want to be alone (be alone)
These are the days and the nights of these sweet humbling heights
And I know it used to be home
Whisk me away, I'll be yours for a day
In heavenly fields which we roam
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
What are you doing? What you doing?
What ya doing to me? What are you doing to my head?
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
I give my heart on the morning of November 6th
Oh, everybody's looking for a fix, hey
Sell me a sign, I'll cut the telephone line
Just to keep the quotations alive
Oh, you're bleeding me dry but the feeling is blind
And I know you're looking divine
Sell me it straight, oh, it might be too late
Keep on breaking the rules, oh
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
What are you doing? What you doing?
What ya doing to me? What are you doing to my head?
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
I give my heart on the morning of November 6th
Oh, everybody's looking for a fix
And this love is diseased there's a cure
I need that medicine to get to the core
Remember this place, it's left to the fates
But it's true, it's kind to be cruel, oh
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
What are you doing? What you doing?
What ya doing to me? What are you doing to my head?
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
What are you doing? What you doing?
What ya doing to me? What are you doing to my head, my head?
Woah, ah, oh, you're my clean white love
Woah, ah, oh, you're too clean white love
What are you doing? What you doing?
What ya doing to me? What are you doing to my head, my head?
In my heart on the morning of November 6th
Oh, everybody's looking for a fix
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Fast Car
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