"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.
Oh yeah
Alright
Somebody's Heine'
Is crowdin' my icebox
Somebody's cold one
Is givin' me chills
Guess I'll just close my eyes
Oh yeah
Alright
Feels good
Inside
Flip on the tele
Wrestle with Jimmy
Something is bubbling
Behind my back
The bottle is ready to blow
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
I can't confront you
I never could do
That which might hurt you
So try and be cool
When I say
This way is a water-slide away from me
That takes you further every day
So be cool
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
Dear Daddy
I write you in spite of years of silence
You've cleaned up, found Jesus, things are good or so I hear
This bottle of Steven's awakens ancient feelings
Like father, stepfather, the son is drowning in the flood
Yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
Alright
Somebody's Heine'
Is crowdin' my icebox
Somebody's cold one
Is givin' me chills
Guess I'll just close my eyes
Oh yeah
Alright
Feels good
Inside
Flip on the tele
Wrestle with Jimmy
Something is bubbling
Behind my back
The bottle is ready to blow
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
I can't confront you
I never could do
That which might hurt you
So try and be cool
When I say
This way is a water-slide away from me
That takes you further every day
So be cool
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
Dear Daddy
I write you in spite of years of silence
You've cleaned up, found Jesus, things are good or so I hear
This bottle of Steven's awakens ancient feelings
Like father, stepfather, the son is drowning in the flood
Yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by amandagisele, GreenrScenry
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my fave song by my fave band-hell, i even named my youngest Rivers! i'm not too sure what rivers was going for when he wrote it, but i DO know how it makes me feel....my dad was a raging alcoholic that was never around for he was too busy drinking, shooting pool, and whoring....when i was about ten, he remarried, cleaned up, found God, and then suddenly became too good for ME! 23 years later we barely talk, no matter how hard I try....so no matter what he was really trying to say, i know that every single time I hear this song (and i've been listening to it since i was 16) i swear he wrote it just for me....
Sorry to hear that your father never came back to the family, or more so you. Maybe to him the idea of getting involved with anything in his past gives him a too strong of an urge to pick up. But IMHO that is something that needs to be worked on with ones self if you want to live life fully and normally but w.o alcohol.<br /> He also still may feel embarrassed and ashamed of how he treated you in your younger years.<br /> A tough and touchy situation, but wish you luck! Maybe one day you two will be talking.
btw.............This is from a recovering addict/alcoholic of 26 years,(now 6 years sober as of 5/15/12) ;) I lived it myself.....