"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.
(do you ever have bad dreams? All I have is bad dreams)
I knew a man with a son
Who bought him a gun
And learned shorty just how to use it
Taught him hunting and skinning
Right from the beginning
Built himself a mighty fine killer
But shorty got picked on
Beat on and kicked on
And all his classmates want to punk him
So with tears in his eye
He catch him in a ride
And told his old man he went hunting
And he felt so free
Like his destiny
Lay somewhere out on the horizon
His heart went cold
He felt a hundred years old
And started pulling back on the trigger
[Chorus]
I think I'm gonna die today
And everyone who hurt me's gonna pay
How could such a short time be so long
How could such a young life go so wrong
(what's it gonna take for you to really make it in life?)
See me
Hear me
But don't touch me
You should fear me
Lived your life dearly
'Cause I'm seriously disturbed
That's my word
Straight to my mother
Wayne, my brother
Who found another one to play sucker
'Cause I ain't the one
Who put shade in your sun
And took all your shine
Watch me get mine
Feel my love burn
Me for my sins
Watch the world turn
The saga begins
Losses and wins
Angels and sins
Dancin' on top
Ahead of the pit
Don't know where I'm going
But I know where I've been
I can't hear a sound
I clapped a full round
I came to get down
I came to get dirty
I came to get even
[Chorus]
Momma, don't cry
Please, momma, don't cry
Momma, don't cry
You did nothing wrong
I knew a man with a son
Who bought him a gun
And learned shorty just how to use it
Taught him hunting and skinning
Right from the beginning
Built himself a mighty fine killer
But shorty got picked on
Beat on and kicked on
And all his classmates want to punk him
So with tears in his eye
He catch him in a ride
And told his old man he went hunting
And he felt so free
Like his destiny
Lay somewhere out on the horizon
His heart went cold
He felt a hundred years old
And started pulling back on the trigger
[Chorus]
I think I'm gonna die today
And everyone who hurt me's gonna pay
How could such a short time be so long
How could such a young life go so wrong
(what's it gonna take for you to really make it in life?)
See me
Hear me
But don't touch me
You should fear me
Lived your life dearly
'Cause I'm seriously disturbed
That's my word
Straight to my mother
Wayne, my brother
Who found another one to play sucker
'Cause I ain't the one
Who put shade in your sun
And took all your shine
Watch me get mine
Feel my love burn
Me for my sins
Watch the world turn
The saga begins
Losses and wins
Angels and sins
Dancin' on top
Ahead of the pit
Don't know where I'm going
But I know where I've been
I can't hear a sound
I clapped a full round
I came to get down
I came to get dirty
I came to get even
[Chorus]
Momma, don't cry
Please, momma, don't cry
Momma, don't cry
You did nothing wrong
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