"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.
Sun's up, it's a little after twelve
Make breakfast for myself
Leave the work for someone else
People say, they say that it's just a phase
They tell me to act my age
Well, I am
On this perfect day
Nothing's standing in my way
On this perfect day
Where nothing can go wrong
It's the perfect day
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon
I could stay forever as I am
On this perfect day
Sun's down, a little after ten
I pick up all my friends in my Mercedes Benz
Wake up! Don't tell me it's just a dream
'Cause when I've had enough you'll hear me say
Now don't you try to rain on my
Perfect day
Nothing's standing in my way
On this perfect day
Where nothing can go wrong
It's the perfect day
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon
I could stay forever as I am
On this perfect day (ow!)
I'm in the race but I already won
And getting there can be half the fun
So don't stop me 'til I'm good and done
Don't you try to rain on my
Perfect day (perfect day)
It's the perfect day
It's the perfect day
Nothing's gonna bring me down
I could stay forever as I am
On this perfect day
Nothing's standing in my way
On this perfect day
Nothing can go wrong (on this perfect day)
I'm in the race but I've already won
And getting there can be half the fun
So don't stop me 'til I'm good and done
Don't you try to rain on my perfect day
On this perfect day
On this perfect day
Make breakfast for myself
Leave the work for someone else
People say, they say that it's just a phase
They tell me to act my age
Well, I am
On this perfect day
Nothing's standing in my way
On this perfect day
Where nothing can go wrong
It's the perfect day
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon
I could stay forever as I am
On this perfect day
Sun's down, a little after ten
I pick up all my friends in my Mercedes Benz
Wake up! Don't tell me it's just a dream
'Cause when I've had enough you'll hear me say
Now don't you try to rain on my
Perfect day
Nothing's standing in my way
On this perfect day
Where nothing can go wrong
It's the perfect day
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon
I could stay forever as I am
On this perfect day (ow!)
I'm in the race but I already won
And getting there can be half the fun
So don't stop me 'til I'm good and done
Don't you try to rain on my
Perfect day (perfect day)
It's the perfect day
It's the perfect day
Nothing's gonna bring me down
I could stay forever as I am
On this perfect day
Nothing's standing in my way
On this perfect day
Nothing can go wrong (on this perfect day)
I'm in the race but I've already won
And getting there can be half the fun
So don't stop me 'til I'm good and done
Don't you try to rain on my perfect day
On this perfect day
On this perfect day
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Well its pretty much explains it's self. I love this song, its so happy :D