"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.
Trapped in a dream
Nothing it seems is ever going to wake me
Sleep in for days, lost in a maze
With paranoia beside me
You can never get out you can never be free
Blame everyone that you've met
And ever tried to deceive
Trapped in a dream
Nothing it seems is ever going to wake me
Spend a night in my shoes
And tell me how to stop this happening
Spend a night in my shoes
And tell me how to seek revenge
Wake up it's time to take over
This place is going to be the death of us
Can't live our lives in the shadows
Of those who try to take the best from us
Taken the pill, live for the thrill
But now my body is breaking
Rotted inside, swallowed my pride
It was mine for the taking
You can never get out you can never be free
Step away from the ones
You thought that you could believe
Taken the pill, lived for the thrill
But now my body is breaking
Spend a night in my shoes
And tell me how to stop this happening
Spend a night in my shoes
And tell me how to seek revenge
Wake up it's time to take over
This place is going to be the death of us
Can't live our lives in the shadows
Of those who try to take the best from us
Wake up it's time to take over
This place is going to be the death of us
Can't live our lives in the shadows
Of those who try to take the best from us
[Repeat: x8]
Woah-oah
Wake up it's time to take over
This place is going to be the death of us
Can't live our lives in the shadows
Of those who try to take the best from us
Wake up it's time to take over
This place is going to be the death of us
Can't live our lives in the shadows
Of those who try to take the best from us
[Repeat: x2]
Yeah, yeah, woah-oh
Nothing it seems is ever going to wake me
Sleep in for days, lost in a maze
With paranoia beside me
You can never get out you can never be free
Blame everyone that you've met
And ever tried to deceive
Trapped in a dream
Nothing it seems is ever going to wake me
Spend a night in my shoes
And tell me how to stop this happening
Spend a night in my shoes
And tell me how to seek revenge
Wake up it's time to take over
This place is going to be the death of us
Can't live our lives in the shadows
Of those who try to take the best from us
Taken the pill, live for the thrill
But now my body is breaking
Rotted inside, swallowed my pride
It was mine for the taking
You can never get out you can never be free
Step away from the ones
You thought that you could believe
Taken the pill, lived for the thrill
But now my body is breaking
Spend a night in my shoes
And tell me how to stop this happening
Spend a night in my shoes
And tell me how to seek revenge
Wake up it's time to take over
This place is going to be the death of us
Can't live our lives in the shadows
Of those who try to take the best from us
Wake up it's time to take over
This place is going to be the death of us
Can't live our lives in the shadows
Of those who try to take the best from us
[Repeat: x8]
Woah-oah
Wake up it's time to take over
This place is going to be the death of us
Can't live our lives in the shadows
Of those who try to take the best from us
Wake up it's time to take over
This place is going to be the death of us
Can't live our lives in the shadows
Of those who try to take the best from us
[Repeat: x2]
Yeah, yeah, woah-oh
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
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Fast Car
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