"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.
Up in the little room, looking down, everybody`s passing time
Princess dressed in wool, dreaming eyes, whispering her rhymes
"Rain play my song today, no one wants to know me anyway"
Perfect lover where are you?
I can`t wait much more for you to come true
Shining prince inside my head,
Live inside a palace underneath my bed
And everybody knows who they are in a velvet garden of rhinestone stars
Shine down on me satin queen, overlords of insane scenes
They go dancing cross the pages of the magazine
Typewriter steel and gray, work away, everybody`s going home
Over across town, caught in a crowd, still living alone
Little room for her out of the rain
A little something for the pain
Lady-in-waiting potentially for the lord of the rock `n roll aristocracy
Dreaming in photographs at night, love`s like sand held in your hand so tight
And everybody know who they are in a velvet garden of rhinestone stars
Shine down on me satin queen, overlords of insane scenes
They go dancing cross the pages of the magazine
Everyday`s like the day before
Come in tired and lock the door
Paint your space with magic hands
Shining slick and dandy
Shining slick and dandy
Smile at your fans
"C`mon pretty boy sing for us take me"
Take me over the edge
I know you`re good enough
And everybody knows who they are in a velvet garden of rhinestone stars
Shine down on me satin queen, overlords of insane scenes
They go dancing cross the pages of the magazine
Princess dressed in wool, dreaming eyes, whispering her rhymes
"Rain play my song today, no one wants to know me anyway"
Perfect lover where are you?
I can`t wait much more for you to come true
Shining prince inside my head,
Live inside a palace underneath my bed
And everybody knows who they are in a velvet garden of rhinestone stars
Shine down on me satin queen, overlords of insane scenes
They go dancing cross the pages of the magazine
Typewriter steel and gray, work away, everybody`s going home
Over across town, caught in a crowd, still living alone
Little room for her out of the rain
A little something for the pain
Lady-in-waiting potentially for the lord of the rock `n roll aristocracy
Dreaming in photographs at night, love`s like sand held in your hand so tight
And everybody know who they are in a velvet garden of rhinestone stars
Shine down on me satin queen, overlords of insane scenes
They go dancing cross the pages of the magazine
Everyday`s like the day before
Come in tired and lock the door
Paint your space with magic hands
Shining slick and dandy
Shining slick and dandy
Smile at your fans
"C`mon pretty boy sing for us take me"
Take me over the edge
I know you`re good enough
And everybody knows who they are in a velvet garden of rhinestone stars
Shine down on me satin queen, overlords of insane scenes
They go dancing cross the pages of the magazine
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