"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.
YOU KNOW YOUR EYES SAY IT’S DEAD INSIDE OF YOU
JUST AN EMPTY SHELL AND FADED TATOOS
AND EVERYTHING’S JUST A MEMORY
AND EVERY DAY’S JUST A PASSING OF TIME
YOU USED TO BE A TIME BOMB
DID YOU NOTICE WHEN THE LIGHTS STARTED TO GO OUT
WELCOME IT WITH A SMILE AND YOUR ARMS OUT
AND NOW IT’S ALL SO MUCH EASIER
BURY YOURSELF IN BANALITY AND COMFORT
NEVER WAKING FOR A MOMENT
WE ARE ALIVE
AND JUST LIKE THE SUN WILL KILL THE NIGHT
WE BRING THE CHANGE TO SOMETHING NEW
CUZ WE KNOW CHANGE THREATENS YOU
AND THERE’S NOTHING LEFT FOR YOU TO SAVE
AND EACH STEP FORWARD THAT YOU TAKE
IS JUST ONE CLOSE TO THE GRAVE
YOU LET THE YEARS GO BY, AND ENDLESS PARADE
AS MEANINGLESS AS THE PROMISES YOU’VE MADE
AND YOU’LL WONDER WHERE IT ALL WENT
WHEN THE LIST OF YOUR EFFORT IS SPENT
AND YOU’RE STILL LEFT HOLLOW
WILL YOU WATCH ALL YOUR LIFE FROM THE OUTSIDE
WILL YOU MARCH TO THE END PLACID AND PARALYZED
OR WILL YOU TAKE IT IN ONE SHOT WITHOUT A CHASER
AND JUST LET GO.
JUST AN EMPTY SHELL AND FADED TATOOS
AND EVERYTHING’S JUST A MEMORY
AND EVERY DAY’S JUST A PASSING OF TIME
YOU USED TO BE A TIME BOMB
DID YOU NOTICE WHEN THE LIGHTS STARTED TO GO OUT
WELCOME IT WITH A SMILE AND YOUR ARMS OUT
AND NOW IT’S ALL SO MUCH EASIER
BURY YOURSELF IN BANALITY AND COMFORT
NEVER WAKING FOR A MOMENT
WE ARE ALIVE
AND JUST LIKE THE SUN WILL KILL THE NIGHT
WE BRING THE CHANGE TO SOMETHING NEW
CUZ WE KNOW CHANGE THREATENS YOU
AND THERE’S NOTHING LEFT FOR YOU TO SAVE
AND EACH STEP FORWARD THAT YOU TAKE
IS JUST ONE CLOSE TO THE GRAVE
YOU LET THE YEARS GO BY, AND ENDLESS PARADE
AS MEANINGLESS AS THE PROMISES YOU’VE MADE
AND YOU’LL WONDER WHERE IT ALL WENT
WHEN THE LIST OF YOUR EFFORT IS SPENT
AND YOU’RE STILL LEFT HOLLOW
WILL YOU WATCH ALL YOUR LIFE FROM THE OUTSIDE
WILL YOU MARCH TO THE END PLACID AND PARALYZED
OR WILL YOU TAKE IT IN ONE SHOT WITHOUT A CHASER
AND JUST LET GO.
Lyrics submitted by punk_in_drublic99
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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ahhhahahaha I'm the first to post on this song....anyways I think that this song is talking about being bored with the same routine and taking a chance by changing things and standing out a little bit...the line "We bring the change to somthing new cuz we know change threatens you" says to me that they want to change everything and they know that not everybody is going to like it and that's why they want to do it...