"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.
Gonna make a move that knocks you over
Watch this turn one's gonna put you away
But I'm doing my very best dancing
Every time you're looking the other way
I could move out to the left for a while
I could slide to the right for a while
I could get up and back
Right on track
But is right on track
Is that gonna get you back
I've been trying to get your attention
And I'm very, very close to thinking of a way
I could be big and tough and other funny stuff
But you just keep looking the other way
How far away can you go
And still be dancing with me
Would you mind staying in the vicinity
I've not been faring badly
But I would gladly take you back
There must be some kind of bad connection
'Cause this music does not sound the way it did
I got to get up and back 'cause I've been off track
And that may be just why you disappeared
But now I've got you in the corner
And I've got one more move I can try of my eye
And I've got one more move I can try
Watch this turn one's gonna put you away
But I'm doing my very best dancing
Every time you're looking the other way
I could move out to the left for a while
I could slide to the right for a while
I could get up and back
Right on track
But is right on track
Is that gonna get you back
I've been trying to get your attention
And I'm very, very close to thinking of a way
I could be big and tough and other funny stuff
But you just keep looking the other way
How far away can you go
And still be dancing with me
Would you mind staying in the vicinity
I've not been faring badly
But I would gladly take you back
There must be some kind of bad connection
'Cause this music does not sound the way it did
I got to get up and back 'cause I've been off track
And that may be just why you disappeared
But now I've got you in the corner
And I've got one more move I can try of my eye
And I've got one more move I can try
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Fast Car
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OMguh!This is a GREAT song! Stephen Bray co-wrote it,he also co-wrote with his real life girlfriend Regina Bell who was also co-wrote songs for Madonna,among other "things".