"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.
A man named Gene's got a beautiful voice
He carries me home on his beautiful horse
And where she waits, I will ride ride ride
Come on stranger, just sing me a song
And if it's sad, I'll sing along-long-long,
I told you I knew every word
When I get to California
Gonna write my name in the sand
I'm gonna lay this body down
And watch the waves roll in
When the city spreads out
Just like a cut vein
Everybody drowns, sad and lonely
Well everybody drowns, sad and lonely
Well everybody drowns, sad and lonely alright
Sweet sweet dreams, and color and sound
Highways in the faraway to be found
I saw gold mines, in the sky sky sky
They were clouds just waiting to cry
And with the wind
I'm dancing drift drift drift
In the shapes of the place that I miss
And when I get to California
Gonna write my name in the sand
I'm gonna lay this body down
And watch the waves roll in
I'm gonna rest this weary head
On someone who I think will care
But when the stars in the sky start fallin'
I think you'll understand
That the city spreads out
Just like a cut vein
Everybody drowns, sad and lonely
Well everybody drowns, sad and lonely
Well everybody drowns, sad and lonely alright
Yeah I'm waiting
For something to give
Well I'm waiting
I hope it's not me
Yeah I'm waiting
For something to give
Yeah I'm waiting
He carries me home on his beautiful horse
And where she waits, I will ride ride ride
Come on stranger, just sing me a song
And if it's sad, I'll sing along-long-long,
I told you I knew every word
When I get to California
Gonna write my name in the sand
I'm gonna lay this body down
And watch the waves roll in
When the city spreads out
Just like a cut vein
Everybody drowns, sad and lonely
Well everybody drowns, sad and lonely
Well everybody drowns, sad and lonely alright
Sweet sweet dreams, and color and sound
Highways in the faraway to be found
I saw gold mines, in the sky sky sky
They were clouds just waiting to cry
And with the wind
I'm dancing drift drift drift
In the shapes of the place that I miss
And when I get to California
Gonna write my name in the sand
I'm gonna lay this body down
And watch the waves roll in
I'm gonna rest this weary head
On someone who I think will care
But when the stars in the sky start fallin'
I think you'll understand
That the city spreads out
Just like a cut vein
Everybody drowns, sad and lonely
Well everybody drowns, sad and lonely
Well everybody drowns, sad and lonely alright
Yeah I'm waiting
For something to give
Well I'm waiting
I hope it's not me
Yeah I'm waiting
For something to give
Yeah I'm waiting
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I always thought the first line was "and mean blue gene's got a.."
i always thought it was 'big mean gene's got a...'