"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 hear more than I like to
So I boil my head in a sense of humor
I laugh at what I cannot change
I throw it all on the pyre again
Go then and do this
I'd do it for you
When all that I want is so badly to be
By myself again
It's going to drive me right out of my brain
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'll come back again
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I don't care if we all turn to waste
So when I beg you avoid me
Because I smell of dirt
Hungry, hungry boy
You won't leave me all alone
The boy won't go
Sooner or later we're done
Sooner or later I'm gone
Because, because
Sooner or later we're gone
Sooner away
Oh, my head is pounding now
God has all but left me behind
Not a note of worry
I'm going to drive in and drive out again
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'll come
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'm over this arrangement
Around here: emptiness
Sounded so good
I want to drive you right into my world
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'll come
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
So I boil my head in a sense of humor
I laugh at what I cannot change
I throw it all on the pyre again
Go then and do this
I'd do it for you
When all that I want is so badly to be
By myself again
It's going to drive me right out of my brain
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'll come back again
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I don't care if we all turn to waste
So when I beg you avoid me
Because I smell of dirt
Hungry, hungry boy
You won't leave me all alone
The boy won't go
Sooner or later we're done
Sooner or later I'm gone
Because, because
Sooner or later we're gone
Sooner away
Oh, my head is pounding now
God has all but left me behind
Not a note of worry
I'm going to drive in and drive out again
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'll come
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'm over this arrangement
Around here: emptiness
Sounded so good
I want to drive you right into my world
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
I'll come
Drive in drive out
I'm leaving
Drive in drive out
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
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The red rocks version is incredible. I can believe that Dave wrote this for Carter, because he really does go crazy when he plays this song live. Awesome!