"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.
Anytime but now
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
I've got to think about my own life
We are consumed by society
We are obsessed with variety
We are all filled with anxiety
That this world will not survive
We gotta put it out
The sky is burning
We gotta put it out
The water's burning
We gotta put it out
The earth is burning
Outrage
But then they say
Anytime but now
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
I've got to think about my own life
The world is not our facility
We have a responsibility
To use all of our abilities
To keep this place alive
Right here
Right now
Do it. Now. Do it.
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
I've got to think about my own life
We are consumed by society
We are obsessed with variety
We are all filled with anxiety
That this world will not survive
We gotta put it out
The sky is burning
We gotta put it out
The water's burning
We gotta put it out
The earth is burning
Outrage
But then they say
Anytime but now
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
I've got to think about my own life
The world is not our facility
We have a responsibility
To use all of our abilities
To keep this place alive
Right here
Right now
Do it. Now. Do it.
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Blue
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Page
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Ed Sheeran
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it's 12:37AM so lets just say that our world is messed up. do something!