"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.
If I had a perfect day
I would have it start this way
Open up the fridge and have a tall boy
Yeah
Then I'd meet up with my friends
Head out to the game again
We don't even really care who wins (hey) wins (hey) 1, 2, 3
Now excitement seems to grow
When we're hangin' with the bro's
When we're chillin' and we pound
A case of stroh's
Now the game is cool to see
You can high five on TV
Count the riot on the 1, 2, 3
Operation is in sight
And the field is open wide
When you break it then you know you're still alive
If the cops don't make you pay
And you make your getaway
Then you know
That's one fine day
On that day before we're through
We could torch a car or two
Then have ourselves another tall boy
Yeah
Water hoses and batons
That's the real game that's on
I don't really give a shit who wins (hey) wins (hey) 1, 2, 3
Now excitement seems to grow
When we're hangin' with the bro's
When we're chillin' and we pound
A case of stroh's
Now the game is cool to see
You can high five on TV
Count the riot on the 1, 2, 3
Operation is in sight
And the field is open wide
When you break it then you know you're still alive
If the cops don't make you pay
And you make your getaway
Then you know
That's one fine day
I believe it's my God-given right
To destroy everything in my sight
'cause it never gets dull
It never gets old (whoa-oh)
The only thing it gets is more bold (whoa-oh-oh)
Drinkin', fightin', going to the game (whoa-oh)
In our world it's a way to stay sane (whoa-oh-oh)
If you're asking me (whoa-oh-oh-oh)
To have it my way (whoa-oh)
I'd say that's one fine day
Now excitement seems to grow
When we're hangin' with the bro's
When we're chillin' and we pound
A case of stroh's
Now the game is cool to see
You can high five on TV
Count the riot on the 1, 2, 3
Operation is in sight
And the field is open wide
When you break it then you know you're still alive
If the cops don't make you pay
And you make your getaway
Then you know
That's one fine day
Then you know that it's one fine day
(Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey)
I would have it start this way
Open up the fridge and have a tall boy
Yeah
Then I'd meet up with my friends
Head out to the game again
We don't even really care who wins (hey) wins (hey) 1, 2, 3
Now excitement seems to grow
When we're hangin' with the bro's
When we're chillin' and we pound
A case of stroh's
Now the game is cool to see
You can high five on TV
Count the riot on the 1, 2, 3
Operation is in sight
And the field is open wide
When you break it then you know you're still alive
If the cops don't make you pay
And you make your getaway
Then you know
That's one fine day
On that day before we're through
We could torch a car or two
Then have ourselves another tall boy
Yeah
Water hoses and batons
That's the real game that's on
I don't really give a shit who wins (hey) wins (hey) 1, 2, 3
Now excitement seems to grow
When we're hangin' with the bro's
When we're chillin' and we pound
A case of stroh's
Now the game is cool to see
You can high five on TV
Count the riot on the 1, 2, 3
Operation is in sight
And the field is open wide
When you break it then you know you're still alive
If the cops don't make you pay
And you make your getaway
Then you know
That's one fine day
I believe it's my God-given right
To destroy everything in my sight
'cause it never gets dull
It never gets old (whoa-oh)
The only thing it gets is more bold (whoa-oh-oh)
Drinkin', fightin', going to the game (whoa-oh)
In our world it's a way to stay sane (whoa-oh-oh)
If you're asking me (whoa-oh-oh-oh)
To have it my way (whoa-oh)
I'd say that's one fine day
Now excitement seems to grow
When we're hangin' with the bro's
When we're chillin' and we pound
A case of stroh's
Now the game is cool to see
You can high five on TV
Count the riot on the 1, 2, 3
Operation is in sight
And the field is open wide
When you break it then you know you're still alive
If the cops don't make you pay
And you make your getaway
Then you know
That's one fine day
Then you know that it's one fine day
(Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey)
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I agree with you, ninjawaiter. Some people even call Cool To Hate their anthem Like you said there will always be people who won't get it right
Someone up there said "i love the meaning of this song cuz its everything that would be a perfect day for me too!! =)" What a moron
The Offspring uses sarcasm and satire in a lot of their songs