"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 get the same old dream, same time every night
Fall to the ground and I wake up
So I get out of bed, put on my shoes, and in my head
Thoughts fly back to the break-up
These four walls are closing in
Look at the fix you've put me in!
[Chorus]
Since You've Been Gone, Since You've Been Gone
I'm outta my head, Can't take it
Could I be wrong, but Since You've Been Gone
You cast the spell, so break it
Since You've Been Gone
So in the night I stand beneath the backstreet light
I read the words that you sent to me
I can take the afternoon, the night-time comes around too soon
You can't know what you mean to me
Your poison letter, your telegram
Just goes to show you don't give a damn
[Chorus]
If you will come back
Baby you know
You'll never do wrong
[Chorus: x2]
Fall to the ground and I wake up
So I get out of bed, put on my shoes, and in my head
Thoughts fly back to the break-up
These four walls are closing in
Look at the fix you've put me in!
[Chorus]
Since You've Been Gone, Since You've Been Gone
I'm outta my head, Can't take it
Could I be wrong, but Since You've Been Gone
You cast the spell, so break it
Since You've Been Gone
So in the night I stand beneath the backstreet light
I read the words that you sent to me
I can take the afternoon, the night-time comes around too soon
You can't know what you mean to me
Your poison letter, your telegram
Just goes to show you don't give a damn
[Chorus]
If you will come back
Baby you know
You'll never do wrong
[Chorus: x2]
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Fast Car
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Fantastic song, agree with the comments on the Guitar solo at the end, its fantastic.