"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.
Don't want to hear your sad songs
Heard them all before
Take it from me dear
You don't need them anymore
Sympathy is all you know
Just let it go
Let's find a way to turn this around
You're like an anchor, bringing me down
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
I've seen right through your crying game
I say "hello," you run your mouth again
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
How can I make you understand?
It's not who you are,
But it's exactly who you'll be
If you let it get that far
Sympathy is all you know
Just let it go
Let's find a way to turn this around
You're like an anchor, bringing me down
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
I've seen right through your crying game
I say "hello," you run your mouth again
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
You just take, take, take, take
Why can't you give, give, give, give
Before I'm gone?
You just take, take, take, take
Why can't you give, give, give, give
Before I'm gone?
Let's find a way to turn this around
You're like an anchor, bringing me down
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
I've seen right through your crying game
I say "hello," you run your mouth again
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
Heard them all before
Take it from me dear
You don't need them anymore
Sympathy is all you know
Just let it go
Let's find a way to turn this around
You're like an anchor, bringing me down
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
I've seen right through your crying game
I say "hello," you run your mouth again
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
How can I make you understand?
It's not who you are,
But it's exactly who you'll be
If you let it get that far
Sympathy is all you know
Just let it go
Let's find a way to turn this around
You're like an anchor, bringing me down
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
I've seen right through your crying game
I say "hello," you run your mouth again
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
You just take, take, take, take
Why can't you give, give, give, give
Before I'm gone?
You just take, take, take, take
Why can't you give, give, give, give
Before I'm gone?
Let's find a way to turn this around
You're like an anchor, bringing me down
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
I've seen right through your crying game
I say "hello," you run your mouth again
Sinking deeper, I can't reach you
Lyrics submitted by xL4n1x
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