"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.
She didn't have a reason to go, oh no
She didn't have a reason to stay
Either way she didn't tell anyone about her first ray of sun
She looked at her keys and found a reason to run
And time stands still, when you're nowhere bound
But I understand it somehow
If I could drive all night
Would I find my peace of mind
Would it be a million miles of cold white lies
An unfamiliar exit sign
If I just drive on by
Just south of knowing why
I didn't really know her that well
But I could tell that her smile was only something to hide behind.
She felt so out of touch, just felt too much
If you don't know what you want, nothing's ever enough
And time stands still, when you're nowhere bound
That's where I'm headed right now
If I could drive all night
Would I find my peace of mind
Would it be a million miles of cold white lies
An unfamiliar exit sign
If I just drive on by
Just south of knowing why
I don't have a plan
I don't have a map
I don't even know if I'm ever going back
I don't have a when
And I don't have a where
I don't even know if I'm knowing I'm there
And time stands still, when you're nowhere bound
But I understand it somehow
But If I could drive all night
Would I find my peace of mind
Would it be a million miles of cold white lies
An unfamiliar exit sign
If I just drive on by
Just south of knowing why
I just drive on by
Drive on
Drive on
Drive all night
If I drive on
Drive on
Drive on
Drive all night
Just south of knowing why
She didn't have a reason to stay
Either way she didn't tell anyone about her first ray of sun
She looked at her keys and found a reason to run
And time stands still, when you're nowhere bound
But I understand it somehow
If I could drive all night
Would I find my peace of mind
Would it be a million miles of cold white lies
An unfamiliar exit sign
If I just drive on by
Just south of knowing why
I didn't really know her that well
But I could tell that her smile was only something to hide behind.
She felt so out of touch, just felt too much
If you don't know what you want, nothing's ever enough
And time stands still, when you're nowhere bound
That's where I'm headed right now
If I could drive all night
Would I find my peace of mind
Would it be a million miles of cold white lies
An unfamiliar exit sign
If I just drive on by
Just south of knowing why
I don't have a plan
I don't have a map
I don't even know if I'm ever going back
I don't have a when
And I don't have a where
I don't even know if I'm knowing I'm there
And time stands still, when you're nowhere bound
But I understand it somehow
But If I could drive all night
Would I find my peace of mind
Would it be a million miles of cold white lies
An unfamiliar exit sign
If I just drive on by
Just south of knowing why
I just drive on by
Drive on
Drive on
Drive all night
If I drive on
Drive on
Drive on
Drive all night
Just south of knowing why
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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