"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.
Well, they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night
Now they blew up his house, too
Down on the boardwalk they're gettin' ready
For a fight, gonna see what them racket boys can do
Now there's trouble busin' in from outta state
And the DA can't get no relief
Gonna be a rumble out on the promenade
And the gamblin' commission's hangin' on by the skin of its teeth
Well, now everything dies, baby, that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City
Well, I got a job and tried to put my money away
But I got debts that no honest man can pay
So I drew what I had from the Central Trust
And I bought us two tickets on that Coast City bus
Now, baby, everything dies, honey, that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City
Now our luck may have died and our love may be cold
But with you forever I'll stay
We're goin' out where the sands turnin' to gold now
Put on your stockings, baby, 'cause the nights gettin' cold and
Everything dies, baby, that's a fact but maybe
Everything that dies someday comes back
Now I've been lookin' for a job but it's hard to find
Down here it's just winners and losers
And don't get caught on the wrong side of that line
Well I'm tired of comin' out on this losin' end
So, honey, last night I met this guy
And I'm gonna do a little favor for him
Well I guess everything dies, baby, that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Fix your hair up nice, make yourself look pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City
Meet me tonight in Atlantic City
Come meet me tonight in Atlantic City
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City
(Tonight in Atlantic City)
(Tonight in Atlantic City)
(Meet me tonight in Atlantic City)
(Tonight in Atlantic City)
(Tonight in Atlantic City)
Now they blew up his house, too
Down on the boardwalk they're gettin' ready
For a fight, gonna see what them racket boys can do
Now there's trouble busin' in from outta state
And the DA can't get no relief
Gonna be a rumble out on the promenade
And the gamblin' commission's hangin' on by the skin of its teeth
Well, now everything dies, baby, that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City
Well, I got a job and tried to put my money away
But I got debts that no honest man can pay
So I drew what I had from the Central Trust
And I bought us two tickets on that Coast City bus
Now, baby, everything dies, honey, that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City
Now our luck may have died and our love may be cold
But with you forever I'll stay
We're goin' out where the sands turnin' to gold now
Put on your stockings, baby, 'cause the nights gettin' cold and
Everything dies, baby, that's a fact but maybe
Everything that dies someday comes back
Now I've been lookin' for a job but it's hard to find
Down here it's just winners and losers
And don't get caught on the wrong side of that line
Well I'm tired of comin' out on this losin' end
So, honey, last night I met this guy
And I'm gonna do a little favor for him
Well I guess everything dies, baby, that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Fix your hair up nice, make yourself look pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City
Meet me tonight in Atlantic City
Come meet me tonight in Atlantic City
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City
(Tonight in Atlantic City)
(Tonight in Atlantic City)
(Meet me tonight in Atlantic City)
(Tonight in Atlantic City)
(Tonight in Atlantic City)
Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Atlantic City Lyrics as written by Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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amazing.