"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.
We always saved the best for last
Till nothing was left
That day we spent out by the lake
I'll never regret
You made me feel like I was tough
Like I was the best
A picture face down on the bar
I'll never forget
A thrift shop memory
And all the books you stole from me
Of all the things we barely made
The life we lost, the way we gave
The best of all the times I spent with you
I hope you're happy too
That summer night we told ourselves
We'd always be true
We watched the sun erase the moon
And turn into blue
Waiting for some things to change
Or hoping that they'd stay the same
Of all the things we barely made
The life we lost, the way we gave
The best of all the times I spent with you
I hope you're happy too
What was it we forgot to say?
Getting good at keeping our eyes closed
And I guess I lost my innocence that day
When you told me we'd be friends
But you're still so much of all I am
Of all the things we barely made
The life we lost, the way we gave
The best of all the times I spent with you
I hope you're happy too
To all the things we barely made
The life we lost, the way we gave
The best of all the times I spent with you
I hope you're happy too
Happy too, happy too, happy too
We always saved the best for last
Till nothing was left
That day we spent out by the lake
I'll never regret
You made me feel like I was tough
Like I was the best
A picture face down on the bar
I'll never forget
A thrift shop memory
And all the books you stole from me
Of all the things we barely made
The life we lost, the way we gave
The best of all the times I spent with you
I hope you're happy too
That summer night we told ourselves
We'd always be true
We watched the sun erase the moon
And turn into blue
Waiting for some things to change
Or hoping that they'd stay the same
Of all the things we barely made
The life we lost, the way we gave
The best of all the times I spent with you
I hope you're happy too
What was it we forgot to say?
Getting good at keeping our eyes closed
And I guess I lost my innocence that day
When you told me we'd be friends
But you're still so much of all I am
Of all the things we barely made
The life we lost, the way we gave
The best of all the times I spent with you
I hope you're happy too
To all the things we barely made
The life we lost, the way we gave
The best of all the times I spent with you
I hope you're happy too
Happy too, happy too, happy too
We always saved the best for last
Lyrics submitted by cudambercam13
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