"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.
Dead as dead can be
From what the doctor tells me
But I just can't believe him
prefer the optimistic (one?)
I'm sure of your ability
to become my perfect enemy
Wake up to face me
rise up and show me
someday I'll say you're vacant
and maybe you're better off this way
Leaning over you here
cold and catatonic
I catch a brief reflection
of what you could and might have been
It's your right and your ability
... My perfect enemy
Wake up (again to / why can't you) face me
rise up and show me
Someday I'll say you're vacant
and maybe you're better off this way
Maybe you're better off this way
People better off this way
You're better off this way
2x you're better off this
Maybe you're better off
Wake up (again to / why can't you) face me, come on and
Rise up, (why can't you / I tell you,) show me (show me)
Some day I'll say you're vacant
and maybe you're better off this way
Go ahead and play dead
I know that you can hear this
Go ahead and play dead
I know that you can hear me
From what the doctor tells me
But I just can't believe him
prefer the optimistic (one?)
I'm sure of your ability
to become my perfect enemy
Wake up to face me
rise up and show me
someday I'll say you're vacant
and maybe you're better off this way
Leaning over you here
cold and catatonic
I catch a brief reflection
of what you could and might have been
It's your right and your ability
... My perfect enemy
Wake up (again to / why can't you) face me
rise up and show me
Someday I'll say you're vacant
and maybe you're better off this way
Maybe you're better off this way
People better off this way
You're better off this way
2x you're better off this
Maybe you're better off
Wake up (again to / why can't you) face me, come on and
Rise up, (why can't you / I tell you,) show me (show me)
Some day I'll say you're vacant
and maybe you're better off this way
Go ahead and play dead
I know that you can hear this
Go ahead and play dead
I know that you can hear me
Lyrics submitted by nicole
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why cant you try and face me why cant you try and face me why can you try and face me you fucking disappoint me