"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.
well i can't be with you
'cause i'll only let you down.
you're gonna find in the nick of time
i'm never gonna sign on the dotted line.
and you've seen my best now
and you know what i can do.
but if you can't sew the seeds by now,
you're never gonna harvest them anyhow.
'cause you dream as a liar
but i dream in the truth.
in between, there's nothing we can do.
and i'm only dreaming.
i'll only hurt myself.
when the winds come a'crashing down,
i'm the only one standing on the ground.
and you've had your chances.
and you know that you'll get more.
to wake with the seeds of doubt
we'll run until the second offense is out.
you dream as a liar
and i dream in the truth.
in between, there's nothing we can do.
carolina,
austin, paris, france.
oh, the places you go
you go at your own expense.
thanks for the memories.
they're nothing if not fond.
if you keep on hanging on
well, we don't know how to sit still anymore.
there's nothing to learn and we're full.
i can't be with you
'cause i'll only let you down.
you're gonna find in the nick of time
i'm never gonna sign on the dotted line.
you dream as a liar
and i dream in the truth.
in between, there's nothing we can do.
we can do
we can do
we can do
oh oh oh
'cause i'll only let you down.
you're gonna find in the nick of time
i'm never gonna sign on the dotted line.
and you've seen my best now
and you know what i can do.
but if you can't sew the seeds by now,
you're never gonna harvest them anyhow.
'cause you dream as a liar
but i dream in the truth.
in between, there's nothing we can do.
and i'm only dreaming.
i'll only hurt myself.
when the winds come a'crashing down,
i'm the only one standing on the ground.
and you've had your chances.
and you know that you'll get more.
to wake with the seeds of doubt
we'll run until the second offense is out.
you dream as a liar
and i dream in the truth.
in between, there's nothing we can do.
carolina,
austin, paris, france.
oh, the places you go
you go at your own expense.
thanks for the memories.
they're nothing if not fond.
if you keep on hanging on
well, we don't know how to sit still anymore.
there's nothing to learn and we're full.
i can't be with you
'cause i'll only let you down.
you're gonna find in the nick of time
i'm never gonna sign on the dotted line.
you dream as a liar
and i dream in the truth.
in between, there's nothing we can do.
we can do
we can do
we can do
oh oh oh
Lyrics submitted by charcoalsketch
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Fast Car
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