"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.
She asks me 'round to have a bite to eat,
When I get there, she's invited the street.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
I tell her that I'd rather be alone,
She gets the car and says she'll drive me home.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
Now, take a night, like the night we met,
I was drinking in the bar, just tryin' to forget.
When she comes home and says, "you're looking blue."
I said, "with my problems so, wouldn't you?"
She takes me home and slips on something cool,
She gives me kisses where she don't as a rule.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
Take it away, sugar!
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
Now, take a night, like the night we met,
I was drinking in the bar, just tryin' to forget.
When she comes home and says, "you're looking blue."
I said, "with my problems so, wouldn't you?"
She takes me home and slips on something cool,
She let me kiss her where she don't as a rule.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times.
When I get there, she's invited the street.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
I tell her that I'd rather be alone,
She gets the car and says she'll drive me home.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
Now, take a night, like the night we met,
I was drinking in the bar, just tryin' to forget.
When she comes home and says, "you're looking blue."
I said, "with my problems so, wouldn't you?"
She takes me home and slips on something cool,
She gives me kisses where she don't as a rule.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
Take it away, sugar!
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
Now, take a night, like the night we met,
I was drinking in the bar, just tryin' to forget.
When she comes home and says, "you're looking blue."
I said, "with my problems so, wouldn't you?"
She takes me home and slips on something cool,
She let me kiss her where she don't as a rule.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
She gives me hard times,
But when she loves me, she loves me.
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times,
She give me, she give me such hard times.
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