"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.
Hey brother of mine,
Come down from the hill
Down where the homeless people
Are not thanking you, Bill
Hey brother of mine,
The world is so strange
The hungry are so polite
When they ask you for change
Hey brother of mine,
A word in your ear
No people can ever go forward
Who are living in fear
You will have to stand tall
You will have to be strong
Then the tribes of the living
Will thank you
For destroying your bombs
I don't mean to sound ungrateful
I don't mean to be unfair
I just had to write and tell you
'Cause the night's so cold and clear
So clear
Hey sister of mine,
The future is green
And the future is freedom
For black and white
And all colors between
There's a lot can be said
There's much more to be done
And people who pray for peace
Should never sanctify guns
Dear brother of mine,
I won't take more of your time
But you know the greatest freedom of all
Comes from speaking your mind
Then the people will sing
Then their pride will swell
All hail to a bright new future
For your Liberty Bell
All hail to a bright new future
And our liberty, Bill
When you're back in your home
All safe and secure
Remember there's people still out
There just looking for food
When you're back in your home
And the living is good
Remember there's people still out there
Just begging for food
And you're back in your home
Like everyone should
Remember there's people still out there
Just crying for food
When you're back in your home
If only we could
Remember there's people still out there
They are dying for food
Come down from the hill
Down where the homeless people
Are not thanking you, Bill
Hey brother of mine,
The world is so strange
The hungry are so polite
When they ask you for change
Hey brother of mine,
A word in your ear
No people can ever go forward
Who are living in fear
You will have to stand tall
You will have to be strong
Then the tribes of the living
Will thank you
For destroying your bombs
I don't mean to sound ungrateful
I don't mean to be unfair
I just had to write and tell you
'Cause the night's so cold and clear
So clear
Hey sister of mine,
The future is green
And the future is freedom
For black and white
And all colors between
There's a lot can be said
There's much more to be done
And people who pray for peace
Should never sanctify guns
Dear brother of mine,
I won't take more of your time
But you know the greatest freedom of all
Comes from speaking your mind
Then the people will sing
Then their pride will swell
All hail to a bright new future
For your Liberty Bell
All hail to a bright new future
And our liberty, Bill
When you're back in your home
All safe and secure
Remember there's people still out
There just looking for food
When you're back in your home
And the living is good
Remember there's people still out there
Just begging for food
And you're back in your home
Like everyone should
Remember there's people still out there
Just crying for food
When you're back in your home
If only we could
Remember there's people still out there
They are dying for food
Lyrics submitted by CocoCoco
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Fast Car
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Great version of a great song,
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