"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.
We all feel the same
All pleasure nothing to gain
I've known you from the start
I've grown used to your wooden heart
Now you know my name
You search your empty brain in vain
If you don't change your ways
You'll end up here with me unraised (???)
Without you they'll never know
Without you my life won't flow
Without you they'll never show
Without you the night won't go
Without you I'm left alone
Without you I'm on my own
Without you I lay in pain
Without you I've gone insane
Now you must decide
What good's a lie when you've nothing to hide
Maps they'll never show
They're dumb like you, they never know
It's time we said goodbye
Bury your head and silence your cry
Know the feel of pain
Join our world and play our game
Without you they'll never know
Without you my life won't grow
Without you they'll never show
Without you the night won't go
Without you I'm left alone
Without you I'm on my own
Without you my life's a waste
Just for you I wrap my face
Without you I'm left alone
Without you I'm on my own
Without you I lay here in pain
Without you I've gone insane
Whatever you may think of me
Don't ever take my dignity (x4)
Whatever you may do to me
Don't crucify my dignity
All pleasure nothing to gain
I've known you from the start
I've grown used to your wooden heart
Now you know my name
You search your empty brain in vain
If you don't change your ways
You'll end up here with me unraised (???)
Without you they'll never know
Without you my life won't flow
Without you they'll never show
Without you the night won't go
Without you I'm left alone
Without you I'm on my own
Without you I lay in pain
Without you I've gone insane
Now you must decide
What good's a lie when you've nothing to hide
Maps they'll never show
They're dumb like you, they never know
It's time we said goodbye
Bury your head and silence your cry
Know the feel of pain
Join our world and play our game
Without you they'll never know
Without you my life won't grow
Without you they'll never show
Without you the night won't go
Without you I'm left alone
Without you I'm on my own
Without you my life's a waste
Just for you I wrap my face
Without you I'm left alone
Without you I'm on my own
Without you I lay here in pain
Without you I've gone insane
Whatever you may think of me
Don't ever take my dignity (x4)
Whatever you may do to me
Don't crucify my dignity
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It's definitely about a abusive relationship of sorts...
In the live in Japan version 1985 on Youtube Benard calls this song "pumped full of drugs". I can really relate the song to that. To me whether they are prescription or illegal, the drugs mean this person can play the game and no-one knows. The real them is disturbed, they hate it? To me it fits with suffering from mental illness of sorts and relying on the drugs to live life. The ending with dignity, is the knowledge that anyone finds out you have to take these drugs etc, or that they fail and reveal your madness, your dignity will be lost?