"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.
So sorry son you're worrying your mother
No explanation's gonna make it seem alright
Young boy, listen to your father
It's more than just your life, it's more than suicide
How does it feel? When you're looking down the barrel
of a loaded gun...Tell me how it feels
Did you see your life flash right before your eyes?
Stop playing games and get yourself up off the floor
young boy we're going to send you to the lions
The men all dressed in white, when you became undone
How does it feel when I might have brought you up
but you are not my son
So many times I tried to bring you up you brought me down
I won't consider you again stop looking at me like you care
I worked my fingers to the bone
I'm not your father or a friend
You might have lived here once but this is not your home
Tell me how it feels
You didn't mean much to me I didn't plant the seed
I'm not your father cause you didn't turn out right
Young boy we're gonna feed you to the fire
How does it feel?
When you're looking down the barrel of the loaded gun...
No explanation's gonna make it seem alright
Young boy, listen to your father
It's more than just your life, it's more than suicide
How does it feel? When you're looking down the barrel
of a loaded gun...Tell me how it feels
Did you see your life flash right before your eyes?
Stop playing games and get yourself up off the floor
young boy we're going to send you to the lions
The men all dressed in white, when you became undone
How does it feel when I might have brought you up
but you are not my son
So many times I tried to bring you up you brought me down
I won't consider you again stop looking at me like you care
I worked my fingers to the bone
I'm not your father or a friend
You might have lived here once but this is not your home
Tell me how it feels
You didn't mean much to me I didn't plant the seed
I'm not your father cause you didn't turn out right
Young boy we're gonna feed you to the fire
How does it feel?
When you're looking down the barrel of the loaded gun...
Lyrics submitted by oofus
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it sounds like a guy whos dad skipped out when he was young and his stepfatehr emotionally abuses him... "You didn't mean much to me I didn't plant the seed I'm not your father cause you didn't turn out right"
incredibly sad topic, but awesome song