"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.
Are we the fools for being suprised that a silence could end with no sound
Like the silent movie era, like with snow, like when Sal's burned down
Well, yeah, there was noise, but nothing to mark the passing on
Of that great unspoken chance we had found
Where the night's end came, well-trod and familiar
Like the Charlie Chapin walk that fades to black
And there wasn't anyone trying to sell their souls
They were only trying to buy them back
They were only trying to buy them back
Well, yeah, there was a Sal, he walked with bulging pockets 'round town
Either he was up to no good or he just got excited watching things burn down
Well I guess he got the idea if you hold a chunk of gold in your hand now
For once in your life you can throw some weight around
And Sal, you slimeball sell-out, how can we blame you?
We all want something to put our fingers on
And you never know the true throne that you've lost
Till the vinyl barstools are gone
Till the vinyl barstools are gone
If you toss around some words you might say that
Sal was carrying a torch for the mob
But the mob's gone too, yeah, the only sign of them left
Is on every screen at the multiplex, and we go there, no prob, hey
'Cause there ain't no cowboys in this Connecticut town
No, not anymore, no, not since Sal's burned down
Once you'd dip your tin cup down in the muse's watering hole
Or pioneer a new patch of common ground
Then you'd lie on your time-traveled bedroll
Quite amazed at the expansive terrain
And if anyone said that you'd never have fame and fortune, just that bar
You know you'd ride that way again
I bet you'd ride that way again.
Like the silent movie era, like with snow, like when Sal's burned down
Well, yeah, there was noise, but nothing to mark the passing on
Of that great unspoken chance we had found
Where the night's end came, well-trod and familiar
Like the Charlie Chapin walk that fades to black
And there wasn't anyone trying to sell their souls
They were only trying to buy them back
They were only trying to buy them back
Well, yeah, there was a Sal, he walked with bulging pockets 'round town
Either he was up to no good or he just got excited watching things burn down
Well I guess he got the idea if you hold a chunk of gold in your hand now
For once in your life you can throw some weight around
And Sal, you slimeball sell-out, how can we blame you?
We all want something to put our fingers on
And you never know the true throne that you've lost
Till the vinyl barstools are gone
Till the vinyl barstools are gone
If you toss around some words you might say that
Sal was carrying a torch for the mob
But the mob's gone too, yeah, the only sign of them left
Is on every screen at the multiplex, and we go there, no prob, hey
'Cause there ain't no cowboys in this Connecticut town
No, not anymore, no, not since Sal's burned down
Once you'd dip your tin cup down in the muse's watering hole
Or pioneer a new patch of common ground
Then you'd lie on your time-traveled bedroll
Quite amazed at the expansive terrain
And if anyone said that you'd never have fame and fortune, just that bar
You know you'd ride that way again
I bet you'd ride that way again.
Lyrics submitted by aur0ra, edited by shiftinshapes
When Sal's Burned Down Lyrics as written by Dar Williams
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think it's "Are we the fools for being surprised".
The first verse is about how all the great things of the old days have faded away. Then it goes on to talk about Sal, who had this great place but he lost his 'throne' beause he burnt the place down for insurance money. He thought money would make it possible for him to throw some weight around, but he's just a sell out. The speaker is disgusted with the whole thing and misses the good old days when she could go down to that bar.