"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.
Do you happen to know where my friend's been?
It's been so long I can't remember when
We used to play out in the park
All day long till it got dark
And now we've managed to get lost
Can't take anymore of this chaos
Will it happen to you cause it's happened to me?
All I know is this can't be
Our old memories
Made us blind we couldn't see
And now we fell in a trap
Tender feelings you won't hold back
And now it finally appears to me
Things are meant to be seen
If this continues on
Things are bound to go wrong
Chorus:
Only certain words can't express
What I feel about this mess
No one seems to understand
The way I feel when I hold your hand
When it's all said and done
We can say that we had some fun
But when we returned to reality
We'd wake and we could see
The things that we have left behind
Suddenly appeared in my mind
That we were all better off
Knowing that we were all still lost
Chorus
It's been so long I can't remember when
We used to play out in the park
All day long till it got dark
And now we've managed to get lost
Can't take anymore of this chaos
Will it happen to you cause it's happened to me?
All I know is this can't be
Our old memories
Made us blind we couldn't see
And now we fell in a trap
Tender feelings you won't hold back
And now it finally appears to me
Things are meant to be seen
If this continues on
Things are bound to go wrong
Chorus:
Only certain words can't express
What I feel about this mess
No one seems to understand
The way I feel when I hold your hand
When it's all said and done
We can say that we had some fun
But when we returned to reality
We'd wake and we could see
The things that we have left behind
Suddenly appeared in my mind
That we were all better off
Knowing that we were all still lost
Chorus
Lyrics submitted by RemyKilledElvis
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Fast Car
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The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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