"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.
It's funny that way, you can get used
To the tears and the pain
What a child will believe
You never loved me
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you, I never thought I would
You can't make me cry, you once had the power
I never felt so good about myself
Seems like yesterday
I lay down next to your boots and I prayed
For your anger to end
Oh Father I have sinned
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you, I never thought I would
You can't make me cry, you once had the power
I never felt so good about myself
Oh Father you never wanted to live that way
You never wanted to hurt me
Why am I running away
Oh Father you never wanted to live that way
You never wanted to hurt me
Why am I running away
Maybe someday
When I look back I'll be able to say
You didn't mean to be cruel
Somebody hurt you too
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you, I never thought I would
You can't make me cry, you once had the power
I never felt so good
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you, I never thought I would
You can't make me cry, you once had the power
I never felt so good by myself
To the tears and the pain
What a child will believe
You never loved me
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you, I never thought I would
You can't make me cry, you once had the power
I never felt so good about myself
Seems like yesterday
I lay down next to your boots and I prayed
For your anger to end
Oh Father I have sinned
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you, I never thought I would
You can't make me cry, you once had the power
I never felt so good about myself
Oh Father you never wanted to live that way
You never wanted to hurt me
Why am I running away
Oh Father you never wanted to live that way
You never wanted to hurt me
Why am I running away
Maybe someday
When I look back I'll be able to say
You didn't mean to be cruel
Somebody hurt you too
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you, I never thought I would
You can't make me cry, you once had the power
I never felt so good
You can't hurt me now
I got away from you, I never thought I would
You can't make me cry, you once had the power
I never felt so good by myself
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
Oh Father Lyrics as written by Patrick Leonard Madonna Louise Ciccone
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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This speaks to me about the relationship between me and my dad. i think someday i'll be the woman in this song, looking back at the way my father was.
@that_sullen_girl - I've always thought that I could have written this song, if Madonna hadn't done it first. My late Father was not physically abusive, but he was often mentally cruel. I really don't think Dad intentionally meant to be mean, but he was brought up by an abusive man and did not know any better. The lines in the song that go "You didn't mean to be cruel/Somebody hurt you too" never fail to break my heart, as they hit real close to home.