"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.
speed kills, but beauty lives forever
speed thrills, but beauty knows your name
i fell ill inside eternal winter, winter
and stood still beside eternal flame
and when i ride
with you tonight
we can move
at the speed of light
with all i'd asked
and all i'd pray
the last rose of summer would stay
first time that i ever saw you
crashing hard, the daze of pain
you were one of god's children
left to cry out in the rain
waiting to be saved again
'cause when i ride
with you tonight
we can move
at the speed of light
and all i'd ask
and all i pray
the last rose of summer
the last rose of summer
the last rose of summer is gone
long gone, gone
the last rose of summer is gone
when i ride
with you tonight
we can move
at the speed of light
forever young
forever blind
into the stars
we rock tonight
last rose of summer is gone
the last rose of summer is gone
the last rose of summer is gone
the last rose of summer is gone
the last rose of summer
the last rose of summer
the last rose of summer is gone
speed thrills, but beauty knows your name
i fell ill inside eternal winter, winter
and stood still beside eternal flame
and when i ride
with you tonight
we can move
at the speed of light
with all i'd asked
and all i'd pray
the last rose of summer would stay
first time that i ever saw you
crashing hard, the daze of pain
you were one of god's children
left to cry out in the rain
waiting to be saved again
'cause when i ride
with you tonight
we can move
at the speed of light
and all i'd ask
and all i pray
the last rose of summer
the last rose of summer
the last rose of summer is gone
long gone, gone
the last rose of summer is gone
when i ride
with you tonight
we can move
at the speed of light
forever young
forever blind
into the stars
we rock tonight
last rose of summer is gone
the last rose of summer is gone
the last rose of summer is gone
the last rose of summer is gone
the last rose of summer
the last rose of summer
the last rose of summer is gone
Lyrics submitted by Ice
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I love the first part, just the way it's sung... "speed kills but beauty lives forevaauuhh".. gives me goosebumps... kinda sounds like that, the way Billy does... Billy can just make up such amazing melodies and sing songs a certain way that only he can... beautiful.
me too