"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.
Now my mother she done told me and my, ha, father done told me
Grandfather told me too
Yeah, my mother she done told me and my father done told me
Grandfather told me too
It's a mean old town to live in by yourself
Yeah, I worked for a dollar
Could not, ha, save a lousy, could not save a dime
You know I worked for a dollar
Could not, ha, save a lousy, man couldn't save a dime
People ain't nobody worried and there ain't nobody crying
Everybody's got their hands out trying to, get a hold on
Trying to get some of my cash
Everybody's got their hand out trying to a, get a hold on
Trying to get some of my cash
Smiling great big smiles, man, you keep on talking trash
So I packed up my suitcase and I, ha, moved on down the
Hit that lonesome road
You know I packed up my suitcase and I, hit that lonesome
I moved on down the road
I been still trying to make it when the day goes down
Grandfather told me too
Yeah, my mother she done told me and my father done told me
Grandfather told me too
It's a mean old town to live in by yourself
Yeah, I worked for a dollar
Could not, ha, save a lousy, could not save a dime
You know I worked for a dollar
Could not, ha, save a lousy, man couldn't save a dime
People ain't nobody worried and there ain't nobody crying
Everybody's got their hands out trying to, get a hold on
Trying to get some of my cash
Everybody's got their hand out trying to a, get a hold on
Trying to get some of my cash
Smiling great big smiles, man, you keep on talking trash
So I packed up my suitcase and I, ha, moved on down the
Hit that lonesome road
You know I packed up my suitcase and I, hit that lonesome
I moved on down the road
I been still trying to make it when the day goes down
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Mean Town Blues Lyrics as written by Johnny Winter
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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