"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've been keeping you safe inside for the longest time
I've being trying to keep alive the paper kisses you sign
And even now when any body breathes you name
I prepare to feel that pain
Bearing down like a train coming through in a minute
Oh it's war, it's farce, it's cinema
It's one long ride an inch too far
The louder you scream, the faster you go
The more that you learn the less that you know
I brought a ticket and there's no way I can ride but alone
But somewhere it stops and that's letting go
Didn't want to be right tonight, you were out of line
I made a meal of this mess of mine for the very last time
And one day when you stumble, I won't break your fall
It won't hurt any more
But I'll ride on the train coming through in a minute
Going south and on so let it come
The train a ride won't always run
I got a ticket and it's going to take a while, going slow
But it's going to stop and that's letting go
I took my chances and I'm going to have to go with the flow
But somewhere it stops and that's letting go
I've being trying to keep alive the paper kisses you sign
And even now when any body breathes you name
I prepare to feel that pain
Bearing down like a train coming through in a minute
Oh it's war, it's farce, it's cinema
It's one long ride an inch too far
The louder you scream, the faster you go
The more that you learn the less that you know
I brought a ticket and there's no way I can ride but alone
But somewhere it stops and that's letting go
Didn't want to be right tonight, you were out of line
I made a meal of this mess of mine for the very last time
And one day when you stumble, I won't break your fall
It won't hurt any more
But I'll ride on the train coming through in a minute
Going south and on so let it come
The train a ride won't always run
I got a ticket and it's going to take a while, going slow
But it's going to stop and that's letting go
I took my chances and I'm going to have to go with the flow
But somewhere it stops and that's letting go
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
The Train I Ride Lyrics as written by Pete Glennister Alison Moyet
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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