"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 saw you get it when you wanted it then
I gave it to you when you wanted it now
I know you're feeling that it's close to the end
Staring at me with your back on the ground
I know your world is in my hands
You know I pull the strings
I like to see how tall you stand
'Cause if I wanted I could take it away
Get laid out or I'm gonna lay you out
Stay down or I'm gonna keep you down
I want it to break, I want it to burn
I wanna bury you until it hurts
And I take, I don't ask
This breath will be your last
Do you feel the collapse?
You feel the pressure as I'm pulling you in
You're crumbling under the weight of the game
Before you let it all just go to your head
Now you're praying that you're walking away
You know your world is in my hands
You know I pull the strings
I like to see how tall you stand
'Cause if I wanted I could take it away
Get laid out or I'm gonna lay you out
Stay down or I'm gonna keep you down
I want it to break, I want it to burn
I wanna bury you until it hurts
And I take, I don't ask
This breath will be your last
Do you feel the collapse?
I want it to break, I want it to burn
I want it to break, I want it to burn
I want it to break, I want it to burn
Get laid out or I'm gonna lay you out
So stay down or I'm gonna keep you down
Get laid out or I'm gonna lay you out
So stay down or I'm gonna keep you down
Get laid out or I'm gonna lay you out
Stay down or I'm gonna keep you down
I want it to break, I want it to burn
I wanna bury you until it hurts
And I take, I don't ask
This breath will be your last
Do you feel the collapse?
Do you feel the collapse?
Do you feel the collapse?
I gave it to you when you wanted it now
I know you're feeling that it's close to the end
Staring at me with your back on the ground
I know your world is in my hands
You know I pull the strings
I like to see how tall you stand
'Cause if I wanted I could take it away
Get laid out or I'm gonna lay you out
Stay down or I'm gonna keep you down
I want it to break, I want it to burn
I wanna bury you until it hurts
And I take, I don't ask
This breath will be your last
Do you feel the collapse?
You feel the pressure as I'm pulling you in
You're crumbling under the weight of the game
Before you let it all just go to your head
Now you're praying that you're walking away
You know your world is in my hands
You know I pull the strings
I like to see how tall you stand
'Cause if I wanted I could take it away
Get laid out or I'm gonna lay you out
Stay down or I'm gonna keep you down
I want it to break, I want it to burn
I wanna bury you until it hurts
And I take, I don't ask
This breath will be your last
Do you feel the collapse?
I want it to break, I want it to burn
I want it to break, I want it to burn
I want it to break, I want it to burn
Get laid out or I'm gonna lay you out
So stay down or I'm gonna keep you down
Get laid out or I'm gonna lay you out
So stay down or I'm gonna keep you down
Get laid out or I'm gonna lay you out
Stay down or I'm gonna keep you down
I want it to break, I want it to burn
I wanna bury you until it hurts
And I take, I don't ask
This breath will be your last
Do you feel the collapse?
Do you feel the collapse?
Do you feel the collapse?
Lyrics submitted by MusicFREAK20
The Collapse Lyrics as written by Rick Anthony Dejesus Dave Richard Bassett
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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Great version of a great song,
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to me, this song is about a guy and a girl in a S&M kind of relationship. She knows her place, he controls everything she does and he says lay down, she better or he's "lay" her down himself. This song seems more "sexual" to me:
"you feel the pressure as I'm pulling you in, you're crumbling under the the weight of the game"
Plus, what else does someone do to you when they "tell" you to lay down?
But I'm sure it can go either way because "laying down" can be a sign of submission and he could just be telling her to give up, to know her place.
But anyway, tis an interesting song.