"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 can see in your eyes
That you're tired of the talk
You're tired of the lies
Every time you let a day pass you by
A part of you dies
Yeah
Take a chance, win or lose
Don't ever give up on the life that you choose
You've gotta hit 'em like a freight-train comin'
You drop the pedal with the motor runnin'
Right here right now
Yesterday's gone, tomorrow's always in doubt
Right here right now
The only time that matters anyhow
You were born, got it all
The rest is all up to you
You stand or you crawl
Gotta chase to break
And run with the fall
Get up when you fall
Yeah
There's one thing (there's one thing)
You can bet (you can bet)
I'll take 'em something
That they'll never forget
You've gotta hit 'em like a freight-train comin'
You drop the pedal with the motor runnin'
Right here, right now
Yesterday's gone, tomorrow's always in doubt
Right here, right now
The only time, the only time
That matters is now
Live out every day
Doing whatever's right for you
Live out every day
Any way that you dare
Is anyone ready to fight for you?
Hell yeah
You're on your own
Hell yeah
But not alone
Hell yeah
Anywhere that you go
Right here, right now
Yesterday's gone, tomorrow's always in doubt
Right here, right now
The only time that matters anyhow
Yeah
Is right now
That you're tired of the talk
You're tired of the lies
Every time you let a day pass you by
A part of you dies
Yeah
Take a chance, win or lose
Don't ever give up on the life that you choose
You've gotta hit 'em like a freight-train comin'
You drop the pedal with the motor runnin'
Right here right now
Yesterday's gone, tomorrow's always in doubt
Right here right now
The only time that matters anyhow
You were born, got it all
The rest is all up to you
You stand or you crawl
Gotta chase to break
And run with the fall
Get up when you fall
Yeah
There's one thing (there's one thing)
You can bet (you can bet)
I'll take 'em something
That they'll never forget
You've gotta hit 'em like a freight-train comin'
You drop the pedal with the motor runnin'
Right here, right now
Yesterday's gone, tomorrow's always in doubt
Right here, right now
The only time, the only time
That matters is now
Live out every day
Doing whatever's right for you
Live out every day
Any way that you dare
Is anyone ready to fight for you?
Hell yeah
You're on your own
Hell yeah
But not alone
Hell yeah
Anywhere that you go
Right here, right now
Yesterday's gone, tomorrow's always in doubt
Right here, right now
The only time that matters anyhow
Yeah
Is right now
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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