"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.
By Paul McCartney
EV'RYBODY NEEDS ATTENTION,
EV'RYBODY WANTS TO SMILE,
EV'RYBODY NEEDS A MENTION,
ATTENTION, ATTENTION, FOR A WHILE.
COME ON, BABY, GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT,
GET INTO THE POWER OF THE PLOT.
YOU KNOW WE'LL ONLY GET IT IF WE TRY,
GIVE ME YOUR ATTENTION FOR A WHILE.
FEEL IT, FEEL IT WHEN YOU TELL ME,
YOU'VE GOT TIME TO GIVE ME,
TIME CAN RUN AWAY.
SEE IT, SEE IT IN THE CHILDREN,
PEOPLE OF TOMORROW,
LIVING FOR TODAY.
YOUR LOVE IS FINE,
YOUR LOVE CAN BE MINE.
COME ON, BABY, GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT,
GET INTO THE POWER OF THE PLOT.
YOU KNOW WE'LL ONLY GET IT IF WE TRY,
GIVE IT YOUR ATTENTION FOR A WHILE.
EV'RYBODY NEEDS ATTENTION, (ev'rybody needs attention)
EV'RYBODY WANTS TO SMILE, (ev'rybody wants to smile)
EV'RYBODY NEEDS A MENTION, (ev'rybody needs a mention)
ATTENTION, (attention)
ATTENTION, (attention)
FOR A WHILE.
GIVE ME YOUR ATTENTION FOR A WHILE.
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo.
EV'RYBODY NEEDS ATTENTION,
EV'RYBODY WANTS TO SMILE,
EV'RYBODY NEEDS A MENTION,
ATTENTION, ATTENTION, FOR A WHILE.
COME ON, BABY, GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT,
GET INTO THE POWER OF THE PLOT.
YOU KNOW WE'LL ONLY GET IT IF WE TRY,
GIVE ME YOUR ATTENTION FOR A WHILE.
FEEL IT, FEEL IT WHEN YOU TELL ME,
YOU'VE GOT TIME TO GIVE ME,
TIME CAN RUN AWAY.
SEE IT, SEE IT IN THE CHILDREN,
PEOPLE OF TOMORROW,
LIVING FOR TODAY.
YOUR LOVE IS FINE,
YOUR LOVE CAN BE MINE.
COME ON, BABY, GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT,
GET INTO THE POWER OF THE PLOT.
YOU KNOW WE'LL ONLY GET IT IF WE TRY,
GIVE IT YOUR ATTENTION FOR A WHILE.
EV'RYBODY NEEDS ATTENTION, (ev'rybody needs attention)
EV'RYBODY WANTS TO SMILE, (ev'rybody wants to smile)
EV'RYBODY NEEDS A MENTION, (ev'rybody needs a mention)
ATTENTION, (attention)
ATTENTION, (attention)
FOR A WHILE.
GIVE ME YOUR ATTENTION FOR A WHILE.
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo,
Doo doo doo doo.
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