"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.
A letter came today from my draft board
With trembling hands I read the questionnaire
It asked me lots of things about my mamma and poppa
Now that ain't what I call exactly fair
So I'm headed for the nearest foreign border
Vancouver may be my kind of town
Cause they don't need the kind of law and order
That tends to keep a good man underground
A sad old soldier once told me a story
About a battlefield that he was on
He said a man should never fight for glory
He must know what is right and what is wrong
So I'm headed for the nearest foreign border
Vancouver may be my kind of town
Cause they don't need the kind of law and order
That tends to keep a good man underground
Now I don't know how much I owe my uncle
But I suspect it's more than I can pay
He's asking me to sign a three year contract
I guess I'll catch the first bus out today
So I'm headed for the nearest foreign border
Vancouver may be my kind of town
Cause they don't need the kind of law and order
That tends to keep a good man underground
With trembling hands I read the questionnaire
It asked me lots of things about my mamma and poppa
Now that ain't what I call exactly fair
So I'm headed for the nearest foreign border
Vancouver may be my kind of town
Cause they don't need the kind of law and order
That tends to keep a good man underground
A sad old soldier once told me a story
About a battlefield that he was on
He said a man should never fight for glory
He must know what is right and what is wrong
So I'm headed for the nearest foreign border
Vancouver may be my kind of town
Cause they don't need the kind of law and order
That tends to keep a good man underground
Now I don't know how much I owe my uncle
But I suspect it's more than I can pay
He's asking me to sign a three year contract
I guess I'll catch the first bus out today
So I'm headed for the nearest foreign border
Vancouver may be my kind of town
Cause they don't need the kind of law and order
That tends to keep a good man underground
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
My Uncle Lyrics as written by Gram Parsons Christopher Hillman
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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