"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.
I’ve been down that road before, over hills and mountains
Tired streets move over slow — transitions seem to come and go
Over hills and mountains, too
Where you’re from and where you’re going to
You’re the only one left — they all fall down
Torn away — from town to town
Breakman coming on the edge of the line, leans his tired head inside
The steel train blazing on — steam drifting overhead
Over hills and mountains, too
Where you’re from and where you’re going to
You’re the only one left — they all fall down
Torn away — from town to town
The story’s old and the story’s lived — back to the other side
Along the prairie open fire — chasing down the death of cold
Over hills and mountains, too
Where you’re from and where you’re going to
You’re the only one left — they all fall down
Torn away — from town to town
Tired streets move over slow — transitions seem to come and go
Over hills and mountains, too
Where you’re from and where you’re going to
You’re the only one left — they all fall down
Torn away — from town to town
Breakman coming on the edge of the line, leans his tired head inside
The steel train blazing on — steam drifting overhead
Over hills and mountains, too
Where you’re from and where you’re going to
You’re the only one left — they all fall down
Torn away — from town to town
The story’s old and the story’s lived — back to the other side
Along the prairie open fire — chasing down the death of cold
Over hills and mountains, too
Where you’re from and where you’re going to
You’re the only one left — they all fall down
Torn away — from town to town
Lyrics submitted by Poofengle
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