"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.
He's waiting for the midday wind
And waves spread out so dull and slack
And with a hand fan every day
The old man smooths the water back
I cast a stone in just for fun
The water rings moved on the plane
So sadly stood the old man by
And swept the water flat again
In white sand the old man sat
Trembling as he smoked his pipe
Just the water and I know that
The fan is of a special type
Awareness sleeps volcano dreams
Reluctant I asked him why
His head hung low as if he slept
And then he said before he died
The water will be your only mirror
First when it's like glass can you see
How many fairytales you have left
For your deliverance you will plead
The fan was pressed to his breast
Just as death's grip seized up his hand
His fingers must have been so tight
The fan remained back in the sand
I call the old man every day
Should he come and deliver me
I stay here with the midday wind
And in the fan it is plain to read
The water will be your only mirror
First when it's like glass can you see
How many fairytales you'll have left
For your deliverance you will plead
The water will be your only mirror
First when it's like glass can you see
How many fairytales you'll have left
For your deliverance you will plead
And waves spread out so dull and slack
And with a hand fan every day
The old man smooths the water back
I cast a stone in just for fun
The water rings moved on the plane
So sadly stood the old man by
And swept the water flat again
In white sand the old man sat
Trembling as he smoked his pipe
Just the water and I know that
The fan is of a special type
Awareness sleeps volcano dreams
Reluctant I asked him why
His head hung low as if he slept
And then he said before he died
The water will be your only mirror
First when it's like glass can you see
How many fairytales you have left
For your deliverance you will plead
The fan was pressed to his breast
Just as death's grip seized up his hand
His fingers must have been so tight
The fan remained back in the sand
I call the old man every day
Should he come and deliver me
I stay here with the midday wind
And in the fan it is plain to read
The water will be your only mirror
First when it's like glass can you see
How many fairytales you'll have left
For your deliverance you will plead
The water will be your only mirror
First when it's like glass can you see
How many fairytales you'll have left
For your deliverance you will plead
Lyrics submitted by John M
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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