"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.
Have you ever stopped to think about what rats do for run?
Sure they crawl around and scurry
Yeah they're always on the run but a rat sure likes a good time
Just like you and me
I'll prove it with a tale about a rat-infested brewery
It started with a little lad named vermin McCann
Who fell upon a drink that made him feel like quite a man
He rounded up his furry boys
Though some wore a frown
They quickly changed their tune and they slammed a couple down
One, two, one-two-three-four
Come on all you good rats
We'll send you to heaven you'll find the pearly gates in the froth and the foam
'Cause in these vats you've made quite a creation
A potion that turned the Guinness to gold
Like mice behind a piper
Rats from all around soon headed for this factory in old Dublin Town
They surely heard the news about this fancy new rat-brew they come
They saw, they had a taste and knocked back a few
One, two, one-two-three-four
Come on all you good rats
We'll send you to heaven you'll find the pearly gates in the froth and the foam
'Cause in these vats you've made quite a creation
A potion that turned the Guinness to gold
The rats were in a tizzy
Addicted to the bone the hairy lugs were giddy
They were never going home
Like a bunch of drunken pirates prepared to walk the plank they drank
They sang, they took a plunge and in the beer they sank
One, two, one-two-three-four
Come on all you good rats
We'll send you to heaven you'll find the pearly gates in the froth and the foam
'Cause in these vats you've made quite a creation
A potion that turned the Guinness to gold
One, two, one-two-three-four
Come on all you good rats
We'll send you to heaven you'll find the pearly gates in the froth and the foam
'Cause in these vats you've made quite a creation
A potion that turned the Guinness to gold
Sure they crawl around and scurry
Yeah they're always on the run but a rat sure likes a good time
Just like you and me
I'll prove it with a tale about a rat-infested brewery
It started with a little lad named vermin McCann
Who fell upon a drink that made him feel like quite a man
He rounded up his furry boys
Though some wore a frown
They quickly changed their tune and they slammed a couple down
One, two, one-two-three-four
Come on all you good rats
We'll send you to heaven you'll find the pearly gates in the froth and the foam
'Cause in these vats you've made quite a creation
A potion that turned the Guinness to gold
Like mice behind a piper
Rats from all around soon headed for this factory in old Dublin Town
They surely heard the news about this fancy new rat-brew they come
They saw, they had a taste and knocked back a few
One, two, one-two-three-four
Come on all you good rats
We'll send you to heaven you'll find the pearly gates in the froth and the foam
'Cause in these vats you've made quite a creation
A potion that turned the Guinness to gold
The rats were in a tizzy
Addicted to the bone the hairy lugs were giddy
They were never going home
Like a bunch of drunken pirates prepared to walk the plank they drank
They sang, they took a plunge and in the beer they sank
One, two, one-two-three-four
Come on all you good rats
We'll send you to heaven you'll find the pearly gates in the froth and the foam
'Cause in these vats you've made quite a creation
A potion that turned the Guinness to gold
One, two, one-two-three-four
Come on all you good rats
We'll send you to heaven you'll find the pearly gates in the froth and the foam
'Cause in these vats you've made quite a creation
A potion that turned the Guinness to gold
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This song is so catchy and funny, it's one of my favorites on Sing Loud, Sing Proud. These guys are totally great...Who else could write a song about drunken rats? Totally awesome.