"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.
Well I moved into this room
If you could call it that, a week ago
I never do what I'm supposed to do
Hardly even know my name anymore
When no one calls it out, kinda vanishes away
And I can't get to sleep at night
The parking lot's so loud and bright
The A/C Hasn't worked in twenty years
Probably never made a single person cold
But I can't say the same for me
I've done it many times
Somebody take me home, through those Alabama pines
You can't drive through Talladega on a weekend in October
Just head up north to Jacksonville
Cut around and over
Watch your speed in Boiling Springs
They ain't got a thing to do
They'll get you every time
Somebody take me home, through those Alabama pines
Somebody take me home, through those Alabama pines
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
If we pass through on a Sunday
Better make a stop at Wayne's
It's the only open liquor store north
And I can't stand the pain
Of being by myself, without a little help
On a Sunday afternoon
Well I needed that damn woman like a dream needs gasoline
And I tried to be some ancient kind of man
One that's never seen the beauty in the world
But I tried to chase it down
Tried to make the whole thing mine
Somebody take me home, through those Alabama pines
Somebody take me home, through those Alabama pines
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
I've been stuck here in this town
If you could call it that, a year or two
I never do what I'm supposed to do
I don't even need a name anymore
When no one calls it out, it kinda vanishes away
No one gives a damn about the things I give a damn about
The liberties that we can't do without seem to disappear
Like ghosts in the air
When we don't even care, it truly vanishes away
If you could call it that, a week ago
I never do what I'm supposed to do
Hardly even know my name anymore
When no one calls it out, kinda vanishes away
And I can't get to sleep at night
The parking lot's so loud and bright
The A/C Hasn't worked in twenty years
Probably never made a single person cold
But I can't say the same for me
I've done it many times
Somebody take me home, through those Alabama pines
You can't drive through Talladega on a weekend in October
Just head up north to Jacksonville
Cut around and over
Watch your speed in Boiling Springs
They ain't got a thing to do
They'll get you every time
Somebody take me home, through those Alabama pines
Somebody take me home, through those Alabama pines
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
If we pass through on a Sunday
Better make a stop at Wayne's
It's the only open liquor store north
And I can't stand the pain
Of being by myself, without a little help
On a Sunday afternoon
Well I needed that damn woman like a dream needs gasoline
And I tried to be some ancient kind of man
One that's never seen the beauty in the world
But I tried to chase it down
Tried to make the whole thing mine
Somebody take me home, through those Alabama pines
Somebody take me home, through those Alabama pines
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
I've been stuck here in this town
If you could call it that, a year or two
I never do what I'm supposed to do
I don't even need a name anymore
When no one calls it out, it kinda vanishes away
No one gives a damn about the things I give a damn about
The liberties that we can't do without seem to disappear
Like ghosts in the air
When we don't even care, it truly vanishes away
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Alabama Pines Lyrics as written by Jason Isbell
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The night I posted that I followed Isbell on twitter and saw that he trolled Dr. Phil (same story) and CNN posted.
Kind of ironic in a way but that is what is cool about him - doesn't try to make these profound, intangible, abstract statements about how music is the answer and shit like that.