"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.
It's because I know she's a disaster
A walking mess, a master of misery
She's everything that possibly could go wrong
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
And now I know that she's the one for me
I'm finding that I can no longer deny it
The risk of perjury
But my only hope
I can find my way back without being a casualty
With every blink of an eye she will constantly try
To destroy everything with a will to survive
But it's alright if you ask me
I'll go all night cause in this case anything goes
They want, you need to see
It's because I know she's a disaster
A walking mess, a master of misery
She's everything that possibly could go wrong
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she will always be
My third degree, four alarm emergency
The bane of our society
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she's the one for me
So take your best shot
I hope your hand is steady
Because we all know that your aim's not
Too dead on or accurate
You couldn't hit a fly
If you were standing in a pile of shit
Shake yourself off
Let me give you a word of advice
And just save yourself while you still can
Shake yourself off
And don't even think twice about it
Save yourself while you still can
I don't think that you understand
It's because I know she's a disaster
A walking mess, a master of misery
She's everything that possibly could go wrong
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she will always be
My third degree, four alarm emergency
The bane of our society
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she's the one for me
Shake yourself off
And don't even think twice about it
Save yourself while you still can
I'm finding that I can no longer deny it
The risk of perjury
But my only hope
I can find my way back without being a casualty
It's because I know she's a disaster
A walking mess, a master of misery
She's everything that possibly could go wrong
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she will always be
My third degreem four alarm emergency
The bane of our society
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she's the one for me
A walking mess, a master of misery
She's everything that possibly could go wrong
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
And now I know that she's the one for me
I'm finding that I can no longer deny it
The risk of perjury
But my only hope
I can find my way back without being a casualty
With every blink of an eye she will constantly try
To destroy everything with a will to survive
But it's alright if you ask me
I'll go all night cause in this case anything goes
They want, you need to see
It's because I know she's a disaster
A walking mess, a master of misery
She's everything that possibly could go wrong
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she will always be
My third degree, four alarm emergency
The bane of our society
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she's the one for me
So take your best shot
I hope your hand is steady
Because we all know that your aim's not
Too dead on or accurate
You couldn't hit a fly
If you were standing in a pile of shit
Shake yourself off
Let me give you a word of advice
And just save yourself while you still can
Shake yourself off
And don't even think twice about it
Save yourself while you still can
I don't think that you understand
It's because I know she's a disaster
A walking mess, a master of misery
She's everything that possibly could go wrong
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she will always be
My third degree, four alarm emergency
The bane of our society
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she's the one for me
Shake yourself off
And don't even think twice about it
Save yourself while you still can
I'm finding that I can no longer deny it
The risk of perjury
But my only hope
I can find my way back without being a casualty
It's because I know she's a disaster
A walking mess, a master of misery
She's everything that possibly could go wrong
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she will always be
My third degreem four alarm emergency
The bane of our society
She'll always be a lifelong tragedy
That's how I know that she's the one for me
Lyrics submitted by eltroyo11, edited by Amazingjfan
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Silent Planet
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Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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