"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.
Life goes on day after day, after day, after day
Who-ha who-ha
Who-ha who-ha
Ha
The animals are winding me up
The jungle call
The jungle call
Who-ha who-ha who-ha who-ha
In Xanadu did Kublai Khan
A pleasure dome erect
Moving on keep moving on, yeah
Moving at one million miles an hour
Using my power
I sell it by the hour
I have it so I market it
You really can't afford it, yeah
Really can't afford it
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova
What a pushover, yeah
There goes a supernova
What a pushover
We're a long way from home
Welcome to the Pleasure dome
On our way home
Going home where lovers roam
Long way from home
Welcome to the Pleasure dome
Moving on, keep moving on
I will give you diamonds by the shower
Love your body even when it's old
Do it just as only I can do it
And never, ever doing what I'm told
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top, yeah
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova
What a pushover, yeah
There goes a supernova
What a pushover
We're a long way from home
Welcome to the pleasure dome
On our way home
Going home where lovers roam
Long way from home
Welcome to the pleasure dome
Keep moving on
Gotta reach the top
Don't stop
Lay lovin' light, all mine
Keep moving on
Yeah
Shooting stars never stop
Shooting stars never stop
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova
What a pushover
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova
What a pushover
There goes a supernova
Who-ha who-ha
Welcome to the pleasure dome
Who-ha who-ha
Going home where lovers roam
Who-ha who-ha
Welcome to the pleasure dome
(erect)
Who-ha who-ha
War is won
Who-ha who-ha
War is won
Uh, uh, uh
Boy, boy, boy
Uh, uh, uh
Keep moving on
Gotta reach the top
Don't stop
Layin' love in lines, all mine
Keep moving on, oh yeah
Shooting stars never stop
Shooting stars never stop
Shooting stars never stop
Who-ha who-ha
There goes a supernova
Who-ha who-ha
What a pushover
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova
What a pushover
There goes a supernova
What a pushover, yeah
Ha, we're a long way from home
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
On your way home
Going home where lovers roam
Long way from home
Welcome to the pleasure dome (who-ha who-ha)
(Who-ha who-ha)
We're a long way from home
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Welcome
The world is my oyster
Ha ha ha ha ha
The world is my oyster
Ha ha ha ha ha
The world is my oyster
Ha ha ha ha ha
Ha ha ha ha ha
Welcome
Who-ha who-ha
Who-ha who-ha
Ha
The animals are winding me up
The jungle call
The jungle call
Who-ha who-ha who-ha who-ha
In Xanadu did Kublai Khan
A pleasure dome erect
Moving on keep moving on, yeah
Moving at one million miles an hour
Using my power
I sell it by the hour
I have it so I market it
You really can't afford it, yeah
Really can't afford it
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova
What a pushover, yeah
There goes a supernova
What a pushover
We're a long way from home
Welcome to the Pleasure dome
On our way home
Going home where lovers roam
Long way from home
Welcome to the Pleasure dome
Moving on, keep moving on
I will give you diamonds by the shower
Love your body even when it's old
Do it just as only I can do it
And never, ever doing what I'm told
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top, yeah
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova
What a pushover, yeah
There goes a supernova
What a pushover
We're a long way from home
Welcome to the pleasure dome
On our way home
Going home where lovers roam
Long way from home
Welcome to the pleasure dome
Keep moving on
Gotta reach the top
Don't stop
Lay lovin' light, all mine
Keep moving on
Yeah
Shooting stars never stop
Shooting stars never stop
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova
What a pushover
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova
What a pushover
There goes a supernova
Who-ha who-ha
Welcome to the pleasure dome
Who-ha who-ha
Going home where lovers roam
Who-ha who-ha
Welcome to the pleasure dome
(erect)
Who-ha who-ha
War is won
Who-ha who-ha
War is won
Uh, uh, uh
Boy, boy, boy
Uh, uh, uh
Keep moving on
Gotta reach the top
Don't stop
Layin' love in lines, all mine
Keep moving on, oh yeah
Shooting stars never stop
Shooting stars never stop
Shooting stars never stop
Who-ha who-ha
There goes a supernova
Who-ha who-ha
What a pushover
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
Shooting stars never stop
Even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova
What a pushover
There goes a supernova
What a pushover, yeah
Ha, we're a long way from home
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
On your way home
Going home where lovers roam
Long way from home
Welcome to the pleasure dome (who-ha who-ha)
(Who-ha who-ha)
We're a long way from home
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Welcome
The world is my oyster
Ha ha ha ha ha
The world is my oyster
Ha ha ha ha ha
The world is my oyster
Ha ha ha ha ha
Ha ha ha ha ha
Welcome
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Fast Car
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wow, so heard this song for the first time today and wondering WHY this band wasn't more popular in the United States! Relax, Two Tribes, and this one are all great songs
Actually Two Tribes and Relax were hits in the US. Just and FYI from someone who lived during those years.