"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.
One, two, one, two three, four
Spineless from the start, sucked into the part
Circus comes to town, you play the lead clown
Please, please
Spreading his disease, living by his story
Knees, knees
Falling to your knees, suffer for his glory
You will
Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
And you'll get a better seat
Bow to leper messiah
Marvel at his tricks, need your Sunday fix
Blind devotion came, rotting your brain
Chain, chain
Join the endless chain, taken by his glamour
Fame, fame
Infection is the game, stinking drunk with power
We see
Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
And you'll get the better seat
Bow to leper messiah
Witchery, weakening
Sees the sheep are gathering
Set the trap, hypnotize
Now you follow
Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
And you'll get the better seat
Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie
Spineless from the start, sucked into the part
Circus comes to town, you play the lead clown
Please, please
Spreading his disease, living by his story
Knees, knees
Falling to your knees, suffer for his glory
You will
Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
And you'll get a better seat
Bow to leper messiah
Marvel at his tricks, need your Sunday fix
Blind devotion came, rotting your brain
Chain, chain
Join the endless chain, taken by his glamour
Fame, fame
Infection is the game, stinking drunk with power
We see
Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
And you'll get the better seat
Bow to leper messiah
Witchery, weakening
Sees the sheep are gathering
Set the trap, hypnotize
Now you follow
Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
And you'll get the better seat
Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie
Lyrics submitted by elmoz, edited by RyanWolfeh
Leper Messiah Lyrics as written by Lars Ulrich James Alan Hetfield
Lyrics © Word Collections Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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Traditionally, a leper messiah was someone who was brave enough to preach to the lepers. Leprosy was feared greatly and lepers were ostracized and sent to live by themselves. Most priests feared these colonies and refused to have anything to do with them.
In context of these lyrics, the phrase takes on a slightly different meaning. Metallica, specifically, uses the phrase to refer priests and preachers who use religion to appeal to those who feel disenfranchised and alone. However, they don't use religion to make these people feel better, instead they guilt them into donating money. The term is not used with fondness in the lyrics. Most people see these fly by night preachers as little better than con artists.