"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.
As I walk this hall alone I wonder
exactly why it is I'm leaving
when there's nothing there for me to return to
other than blind faith
with a lack of believing
and not to say that I have nothing
I have everything and I am grateful
but my head is trying to tell me something
in this state of mind I feel so hateful
and I don't understand
and I'm not going to try to because
now that I've seen it
I couldn't walk away no
even if I wanted to, yes
now that I've seen it
even though I'm leaving now
every bit of me is still there
well I am filled with a quiet resolution
and questions posed without solution
and in my realm of indecision
finally I feel as though I can see something
and though this beacons ever flashing
Ii can't revisit without rehashing
when I'm stuck in where I created fear
I can not fix myself from here
and I'm starting to understand
at least in this state I believe something because
now that I've seen it
I couldn't walk away no
even if I wanted to, yes
now that I've seen it
even though I'm leaving now
every bit of me is still there
the amount of times
I've seen the edge
of my own head
is unrelenting
the floor falls out
and I am left with
thoughts that move
without consenting
when all I want is peace
and all I want to believe in
is knowing without seeing
and wanting without fear
now that I've seen it
I couldn't walk away no
even if I wanted to, yes
now that I've seen it
even though I'm leaving now
every bit of me is still there
exactly why it is I'm leaving
when there's nothing there for me to return to
other than blind faith
with a lack of believing
and not to say that I have nothing
I have everything and I am grateful
but my head is trying to tell me something
in this state of mind I feel so hateful
and I don't understand
and I'm not going to try to because
now that I've seen it
I couldn't walk away no
even if I wanted to, yes
now that I've seen it
even though I'm leaving now
every bit of me is still there
well I am filled with a quiet resolution
and questions posed without solution
and in my realm of indecision
finally I feel as though I can see something
and though this beacons ever flashing
Ii can't revisit without rehashing
when I'm stuck in where I created fear
I can not fix myself from here
and I'm starting to understand
at least in this state I believe something because
now that I've seen it
I couldn't walk away no
even if I wanted to, yes
now that I've seen it
even though I'm leaving now
every bit of me is still there
the amount of times
I've seen the edge
of my own head
is unrelenting
the floor falls out
and I am left with
thoughts that move
without consenting
when all I want is peace
and all I want to believe in
is knowing without seeing
and wanting without fear
now that I've seen it
I couldn't walk away no
even if I wanted to, yes
now that I've seen it
even though I'm leaving now
every bit of me is still there
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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