"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 took a ride in an automobile
Pushed my hands out against the wheel
Asked a girl if she needed a ride
She said, ""Sure, babe, but I wanna drive""
Hey now, wait awhile
We're going down with a smile
Cold river - she took me down
Cold river - she took my pride
River runs so deep
It runs so deep
It runs so deep
Had to stop on account of the storm
Seemed like years since I'd been warm
We drove all night till the tires blew
Got in the back and did what you do
Hey now, wait awhile
We're going down with a smile
Cold river -- she took me down
Cold river -- she took my pride
On a sunny day
On a sunny day
(She took my pride)
All the money you made
Did you need it, babe
Pushed my hands out against the wheel
Asked a girl if she needed a ride
She said, ""Sure, babe, but I wanna drive""
Hey now, wait awhile
We're going down with a smile
Cold river - she took me down
Cold river - she took my pride
River runs so deep
It runs so deep
It runs so deep
Had to stop on account of the storm
Seemed like years since I'd been warm
We drove all night till the tires blew
Got in the back and did what you do
Hey now, wait awhile
We're going down with a smile
Cold river -- she took me down
Cold river -- she took my pride
On a sunny day
On a sunny day
(She took my pride)
All the money you made
Did you need it, babe
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Fast Car
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