"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.
After the show, after the hardest week
We left from the bar and left him on the street
Left him on the street and walked on down to Queen
Realized our fault, returned and he was gone
After the show, after the hardest week
We left from the bar and lost him on the street
Lost him on the street and walked on down to Queen
Realized our fault, returned and he was gone
Two sisters cry, apologize, until our words run out
My forehead on my sister’s forehead, crying in the crowd
I tell her that I love her more than any silly thoughts
And for those long cold icy moments time for us did stop
Standing out on Dundas Street and waiting for the cab
Night was getting icier, froze over empty hands
Car pulls up in front of me, and stepping out to go
Holly yells, I turn my head, and right out from the cold
Kenyatta, Kenyatta, Kenyatta
He’s holding something
Ran over and ran right up, buckling with joy
He held it back and laughed out loud, he was a drunken boy
But a sweet one, I was playing, fingers turning blue
I told him that I loved him but I wanted to tell you
Kenyatta, Kenyatta, Kenyatta
He’s holding something
Kenyatta, Kenyatta, Kenyatta
We left from the bar and left him on the street
Left him on the street and walked on down to Queen
Realized our fault, returned and he was gone
After the show, after the hardest week
We left from the bar and lost him on the street
Lost him on the street and walked on down to Queen
Realized our fault, returned and he was gone
Two sisters cry, apologize, until our words run out
My forehead on my sister’s forehead, crying in the crowd
I tell her that I love her more than any silly thoughts
And for those long cold icy moments time for us did stop
Standing out on Dundas Street and waiting for the cab
Night was getting icier, froze over empty hands
Car pulls up in front of me, and stepping out to go
Holly yells, I turn my head, and right out from the cold
Kenyatta, Kenyatta, Kenyatta
He’s holding something
Ran over and ran right up, buckling with joy
He held it back and laughed out loud, he was a drunken boy
But a sweet one, I was playing, fingers turning blue
I told him that I loved him but I wanted to tell you
Kenyatta, Kenyatta, Kenyatta
He’s holding something
Kenyatta, Kenyatta, Kenyatta
Lyrics submitted by ninjalarry
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