"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.
Why don't you tell me
What do you need?
There is a blank page
For you
Give me the bones of
What you believe
Maybe they'll save you
From me
Will I be the strong hand
Keeping you safe
Or will I break you
In half
And you will never
Be under my thumb
But you are not your
Own man
See the way we all run
When we know it all off by heart
Playing down, waiting all out
Will we win or lose it this time?
When the pressure's building for a great white hope
Do you give up things that you love?
And the pressure's building 'til it takes you whole
Can you go back on your own word?
All of your brothers
They never died
For what you kill for
Slowly
How it will grind you
Into the ground
If you should try to
Hold me
See the way we all run
When we know it all off by heart
Played down, waiting all out
When we win or lose it this time
When the pressure's building for a great white hope
Do you give up things you love?
And the pressure's building 'til it takes you whole
Can you go back on your own word?
When the pressure's building for a great white hope
Do you give up things you love?
And the pressure's building 'til it takes you whole
Can you go back on your own word?
What do you need?
There is a blank page
For you
Give me the bones of
What you believe
Maybe they'll save you
From me
Will I be the strong hand
Keeping you safe
Or will I break you
In half
And you will never
Be under my thumb
But you are not your
Own man
See the way we all run
When we know it all off by heart
Playing down, waiting all out
Will we win or lose it this time?
When the pressure's building for a great white hope
Do you give up things that you love?
And the pressure's building 'til it takes you whole
Can you go back on your own word?
All of your brothers
They never died
For what you kill for
Slowly
How it will grind you
Into the ground
If you should try to
Hold me
See the way we all run
When we know it all off by heart
Played down, waiting all out
When we win or lose it this time
When the pressure's building for a great white hope
Do you give up things you love?
And the pressure's building 'til it takes you whole
Can you go back on your own word?
When the pressure's building for a great white hope
Do you give up things you love?
And the pressure's building 'til it takes you whole
Can you go back on your own word?
Lyrics submitted by whitesky, edited by michellemch
Strong Hand Lyrics as written by Lauren Eve Mayberry Iain Andrew Cook
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Seems to be warning or telling someone that she may be the one who'll break them. She also seems to know he'll become dependent on her in some ways, even if it's not immediately apparent.
She also tells him how his devotion is going to leave him burned out and that others weren't foolish enough to go as far as he will for her. In the end, he's giving up his identity for her. She'll leave him, but he won't break his promises to love her, even if it kills him.