"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.
You try to read me
You try to figure out
You try to breathe me
But you can't blow me out
You try to feel me, but I'm so out of touch
I won't be falling
You won't have to pick me up
Sorry if I sound confused
I don't feel the way you do
But I won't turn around
But I won't turn around
You think that I might back down but I won't
Think that I might have doubts but I don't
No insecurities
Won't you just let me, let me be
Think that you know me now, but you don't
Think that I-I can't stand on my own
Ain't my philosophy
Won't you just let me, let me be
Trust in my instincts
Trust that I know what's right
These are the reasons that keep you up at night (at night)
Tell me "Go slow", this is my flow
'Cause you don't know, know what I know
Let me tell you how it feels
Baby it's time that you see me for real
Sorry if I sound confused
I don't feel the way you do
But I won't turn around
But I won't turn around
You think that I might back down but I won't
Think that I might have doubts but I don't
No insecurities
Won't you just let me, let me be
Think that you know me now, but you don't
Think that I-I can't stand on my own
Ain't my philosophy
Won't you just let me, let me be
Trust that I know, this is my show
Letting you know, gotta go the way I go
Trust that I know, this is my show
Letting you know, gotta go the way I go
You think that I might back down but I won't
Think that I might have doubts but I don't
No insecurities
Won't you just let me, let me be
Think that you know me now, but you don't
Think that I-I can't stand on my own
Ain't my philosophy
Won't you just let me, let me be
You think that I might back down but I won't
Think that I might have doubts but I don't
No insecurities
Won't you just let me, let me be
Think that you know me now, but you don't
Think that I-I can't stand on my own
Ain't my philosophy
Won't you just let me, let me be
You try to figure out
You try to breathe me
But you can't blow me out
You try to feel me, but I'm so out of touch
I won't be falling
You won't have to pick me up
Sorry if I sound confused
I don't feel the way you do
But I won't turn around
But I won't turn around
You think that I might back down but I won't
Think that I might have doubts but I don't
No insecurities
Won't you just let me, let me be
Think that you know me now, but you don't
Think that I-I can't stand on my own
Ain't my philosophy
Won't you just let me, let me be
Trust in my instincts
Trust that I know what's right
These are the reasons that keep you up at night (at night)
Tell me "Go slow", this is my flow
'Cause you don't know, know what I know
Let me tell you how it feels
Baby it's time that you see me for real
Sorry if I sound confused
I don't feel the way you do
But I won't turn around
But I won't turn around
You think that I might back down but I won't
Think that I might have doubts but I don't
No insecurities
Won't you just let me, let me be
Think that you know me now, but you don't
Think that I-I can't stand on my own
Ain't my philosophy
Won't you just let me, let me be
Trust that I know, this is my show
Letting you know, gotta go the way I go
Trust that I know, this is my show
Letting you know, gotta go the way I go
You think that I might back down but I won't
Think that I might have doubts but I don't
No insecurities
Won't you just let me, let me be
Think that you know me now, but you don't
Think that I-I can't stand on my own
Ain't my philosophy
Won't you just let me, let me be
You think that I might back down but I won't
Think that I might have doubts but I don't
No insecurities
Won't you just let me, let me be
Think that you know me now, but you don't
Think that I-I can't stand on my own
Ain't my philosophy
Won't you just let me, let me be
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this songs kinda nice