"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.
Working and working my life away,
with nothing to show but my bills are paid.
But inside you know
that you’re all alone.
What can you do
when the world moves on without you?
I chose a path
that wasn’t there before.
I’m not limiting myself
to just one single door.
But you’ll always be tied down,
Restricted by the pain that grips your life.
I felt it,
so focused,
just barely scraping by.
Working and working my life away,
with nothing to show but my bills are paid.
Consume, repeat,
and force yourself to sleep.
Weak hands, sore feet,
but it makes you feel complete.
The weight of the world’s got you
fallen to your knees.
So learn how to crawl before
you stand on your feet.
You can’t believe
that you can feel complete.
While questioning to fill your tank
or maybe you should eat.
If somehow you can make it through,
working knuckles black and blue,
somehow finding time for you.
Some will win,
some may lose.
We are all drowning in an ocean of greed.
The rich will climb your shoulders
just to breathe.
Consume, repeat,
and force yourself to sleep.
Weak hands, sore feet,
but it makes you feel complete.
The weight of the world’s got you
fallen to your knees.
So learn how to crawl before
you stand on your feet.
I know you’re weak and tired,
you feel like givin in.
You question if it’s really worth it,
you’ve got to look inside.
You’ve got to realize
remember that the struggle’s worth it.
Inside you know that you’re all alone
but still you try.
And so you,
consume, repeat,
and force yourself to sleep.
Weak hands, sore feet,
but it makes you feel complete.
The weight of the world’s got you
fallen to your knees.
So learn how to crawl before
you stand on your feet.
with nothing to show but my bills are paid.
But inside you know
that you’re all alone.
What can you do
when the world moves on without you?
I chose a path
that wasn’t there before.
I’m not limiting myself
to just one single door.
But you’ll always be tied down,
Restricted by the pain that grips your life.
I felt it,
so focused,
just barely scraping by.
Working and working my life away,
with nothing to show but my bills are paid.
Consume, repeat,
and force yourself to sleep.
Weak hands, sore feet,
but it makes you feel complete.
The weight of the world’s got you
fallen to your knees.
So learn how to crawl before
you stand on your feet.
You can’t believe
that you can feel complete.
While questioning to fill your tank
or maybe you should eat.
If somehow you can make it through,
working knuckles black and blue,
somehow finding time for you.
Some will win,
some may lose.
We are all drowning in an ocean of greed.
The rich will climb your shoulders
just to breathe.
Consume, repeat,
and force yourself to sleep.
Weak hands, sore feet,
but it makes you feel complete.
The weight of the world’s got you
fallen to your knees.
So learn how to crawl before
you stand on your feet.
I know you’re weak and tired,
you feel like givin in.
You question if it’s really worth it,
you’ve got to look inside.
You’ve got to realize
remember that the struggle’s worth it.
Inside you know that you’re all alone
but still you try.
And so you,
consume, repeat,
and force yourself to sleep.
Weak hands, sore feet,
but it makes you feel complete.
The weight of the world’s got you
fallen to your knees.
So learn how to crawl before
you stand on your feet.
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