"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 woke up at four this morning, to whimper and to whine
to hear myself through spit and crackle of a poor long distance line
what clever ways to say i love you, words that always fail
hang up and light a cigarette, sit waiting for the mail
some flyers from department stores, another get rich plan
a bill or two, some shampoo, and a note from ed mcmahn
although you'll always be the one in who i will confide
sometimes you're the razor on my private water slide
by the way i got your letter yesterday
said theres no need to be said
said that some things will never ever change but some already had
and i've heard it from the corner of my ear how that voice makes things right
and i'm sure theres something more than memory across the maryland bridge tonight
now omnious, these undercurrents they crowd me now it seems
everytime i meet you in the darkness of my dremas
its likely that i'll turn around and parody myself
imagine we're in different places
pretend we're someone else
well, i can be j edgar hoover
you be JFK
as power hungry egocentrics we'll paperfight the nights away
sometimes you're my nemisis when i'm paranoid
sometimes i have doubts and worries too strong to avoid
by the way i got your letter yesterday
said theres no need to be said
said that some things will never ever change but some already had
and i've heard it from the corner of my ear how that voice makes things right
and i'm sure theres something more than memory across the maryland bridge tonight
maryland bridge tonight
to hear myself through spit and crackle of a poor long distance line
what clever ways to say i love you, words that always fail
hang up and light a cigarette, sit waiting for the mail
some flyers from department stores, another get rich plan
a bill or two, some shampoo, and a note from ed mcmahn
although you'll always be the one in who i will confide
sometimes you're the razor on my private water slide
by the way i got your letter yesterday
said theres no need to be said
said that some things will never ever change but some already had
and i've heard it from the corner of my ear how that voice makes things right
and i'm sure theres something more than memory across the maryland bridge tonight
now omnious, these undercurrents they crowd me now it seems
everytime i meet you in the darkness of my dremas
its likely that i'll turn around and parody myself
imagine we're in different places
pretend we're someone else
well, i can be j edgar hoover
you be JFK
as power hungry egocentrics we'll paperfight the nights away
sometimes you're my nemisis when i'm paranoid
sometimes i have doubts and worries too strong to avoid
by the way i got your letter yesterday
said theres no need to be said
said that some things will never ever change but some already had
and i've heard it from the corner of my ear how that voice makes things right
and i'm sure theres something more than memory across the maryland bridge tonight
maryland bridge tonight
Lyrics submitted by yraliar
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