"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.
I wake up like a comet
Dizzy form the re-entry
And I'm on fire
I'm on fire
Do the dishes make the bed
Do the math inside my head
But it still comes out ones and zeros
So I took a look and noticed that your rocket wasn't tucked inside my bubble
This morning
Put my helmet on and took a deep breath of your super-precious oxygen
And walked around the launch pad
I can't believe
I can't believe
That nothing's gunna happen
That nothing's gunna happen here
I can't believe
I can't believe
The chances are lookin
The chances are lookin slim this year
Watch the count-down go from T minus something to whatever comes after that
And thought about the way
The super-nova shines like the colors in your hair and I'm sorry that I'm not there
But this is for the good of the universe
I looked down and see the world get smaller as I get a little colder
As I reach for the satellite phone
Gotta tell ya baby
Space is the place
But it's never gunna be home
cuz you're not there
(chorus)
I wake up like a comet
Dizzy from the re-entry
And I'm on fire
I'm on fire
Dizzy form the re-entry
And I'm on fire
I'm on fire
Do the dishes make the bed
Do the math inside my head
But it still comes out ones and zeros
So I took a look and noticed that your rocket wasn't tucked inside my bubble
This morning
Put my helmet on and took a deep breath of your super-precious oxygen
And walked around the launch pad
I can't believe
I can't believe
That nothing's gunna happen
That nothing's gunna happen here
I can't believe
I can't believe
The chances are lookin
The chances are lookin slim this year
Watch the count-down go from T minus something to whatever comes after that
And thought about the way
The super-nova shines like the colors in your hair and I'm sorry that I'm not there
But this is for the good of the universe
I looked down and see the world get smaller as I get a little colder
As I reach for the satellite phone
Gotta tell ya baby
Space is the place
But it's never gunna be home
cuz you're not there
(chorus)
I wake up like a comet
Dizzy from the re-entry
And I'm on fire
I'm on fire
Lyrics submitted by punk_rawk_princess
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Fast Car
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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I love this song. I haven't heard anything else by the benjamins though, I was just getting interested, too bad they broke up.