"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.
There's a slow train coming
It's movin' on down the line
Steel wheels on iron rails
Tonight I'm fixin' to die
Woo, I hope you don't mind pretty mama
Woo-hoo, hope you don't mind if I go
'Cause when the steam from the slow train rises
I ain't gonna see you anymore
There's a slow train coming
Coming right on time
Smokestacks and bottle lightning
This jumper on the line
Woo, I can't do without it anymore pretty mama
Yes, I can't do it without it anymore
'Cause when the steam from the slow train rises
I ain't gonna see you anymore
There's a slow train coming
To march us home from war
With my leather boots and my haversack
Sure can take it no more
Woo, I cried for her baby when I saw you there
Woo-hoo, I cried for her just the same
'Cause when the steam from the slow train rises
I'm gonna cry for you just the same
Well there's a slow train coming
Carrying the mighty worker hordes
Eighteen days in the cotton field
Enough to put a man out of ?
Woo, It's time to move on pretty mama
Woo-hoo, Yes it's time to move on as I go
As the steam from my slow train rises
It's time for me to get on board
It's movin' on down the line
Steel wheels on iron rails
Tonight I'm fixin' to die
Woo, I hope you don't mind pretty mama
Woo-hoo, hope you don't mind if I go
'Cause when the steam from the slow train rises
I ain't gonna see you anymore
There's a slow train coming
Coming right on time
Smokestacks and bottle lightning
This jumper on the line
Woo, I can't do without it anymore pretty mama
Yes, I can't do it without it anymore
'Cause when the steam from the slow train rises
I ain't gonna see you anymore
There's a slow train coming
To march us home from war
With my leather boots and my haversack
Sure can take it no more
Woo, I cried for her baby when I saw you there
Woo-hoo, I cried for her just the same
'Cause when the steam from the slow train rises
I'm gonna cry for you just the same
Well there's a slow train coming
Carrying the mighty worker hordes
Eighteen days in the cotton field
Enough to put a man out of ?
Woo, It's time to move on pretty mama
Woo-hoo, Yes it's time to move on as I go
As the steam from my slow train rises
It's time for me to get on board
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Slow Train Lyrics as written by Kevin Shirley Joe Bonamassa
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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