"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've got to tell you(echo)
I want to tell you (echo)
I've got to tell you (scat)
I want to tell you that you've got to let it go
(scat)
I've got to tell you that it's time to let you know
I've got to tell you that you've got to let it go
I've got to tell you that it's time to let you know
I've got to tell you that you've got to let you go
I want to tell you that you've got I've got to let you go
Verse 1:
I believe to much in all the stuff in my head
It's a hassle in the morning to get up out of bed
I'm holding on the superset, and it's to hard to see
And I'm thinking everybody is better than me
I try to keep doing what I think I gotta do
If I make a mistake you're going to think I'm a fool
I'm always back again to the point where I began
If you're afraid I need help, don't offer your hand
I know, you know, they know, we know
I don't know nothing, but I gotta keep bluffing
I'm thinking, they're thinking, you're thinking
And now I'm so drained and confused that I think I want to sing
It's so hard to talk, when you're walking in chalk
And so hard to see, when your pretending you're free
Don't know what I can give, and I've had all I can take
Everybody's to blame, when you can't play the game
(scat)
I've got to tell you that it's time to let you know
I want to tell you that you've got I've got to let you go
I've got to tell you that it's time to let you know
I want to tell you that you've got I've got to let you go
Verse 2:
I'm a naming, and a gaming, a framing, and a blaming
And it's a pattern that's been working for a long, long time
It's hard to begin, but surrender means when
And It certainly is better than losing your mind
I know you've been thinking I've been talking about me
I made it that way for a purpose you see
Scatman's only really, trying to get through
To help you discover that he'd been talking about you
These things I hold back are right here in the back of my head
This happened, I think I kinda have to go to bed
I'm on the level logically, in spite of what I think
You think my opinions should be thrown in the sink
I want to do better, but I don't know how
But If I'm going to start, I'm going to start right now
I try to survive, and I want to let you know
If I want to live at all I gotta, I gotta let go
(scatting ‘till end)
I want to tell you (echo)
I've got to tell you (scat)
I want to tell you that you've got to let it go
(scat)
I've got to tell you that it's time to let you know
I've got to tell you that you've got to let it go
I've got to tell you that it's time to let you know
I've got to tell you that you've got to let you go
I want to tell you that you've got I've got to let you go
Verse 1:
I believe to much in all the stuff in my head
It's a hassle in the morning to get up out of bed
I'm holding on the superset, and it's to hard to see
And I'm thinking everybody is better than me
I try to keep doing what I think I gotta do
If I make a mistake you're going to think I'm a fool
I'm always back again to the point where I began
If you're afraid I need help, don't offer your hand
I know, you know, they know, we know
I don't know nothing, but I gotta keep bluffing
I'm thinking, they're thinking, you're thinking
And now I'm so drained and confused that I think I want to sing
It's so hard to talk, when you're walking in chalk
And so hard to see, when your pretending you're free
Don't know what I can give, and I've had all I can take
Everybody's to blame, when you can't play the game
(scat)
I've got to tell you that it's time to let you know
I want to tell you that you've got I've got to let you go
I've got to tell you that it's time to let you know
I want to tell you that you've got I've got to let you go
Verse 2:
I'm a naming, and a gaming, a framing, and a blaming
And it's a pattern that's been working for a long, long time
It's hard to begin, but surrender means when
And It certainly is better than losing your mind
I know you've been thinking I've been talking about me
I made it that way for a purpose you see
Scatman's only really, trying to get through
To help you discover that he'd been talking about you
These things I hold back are right here in the back of my head
This happened, I think I kinda have to go to bed
I'm on the level logically, in spite of what I think
You think my opinions should be thrown in the sink
I want to do better, but I don't know how
But If I'm going to start, I'm going to start right now
I try to survive, and I want to let you know
If I want to live at all I gotta, I gotta let go
(scatting ‘till end)
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Fast Car
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
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This is the scatman's est song by far. May he rest in peace