"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.
Great King Rat died today
Born on the twenty first of May
Died syphilis forty four on his birthday
Every second word he swore
Yes he was the son of a whore
Always wanted by the law
Wouldn't you like to know?
Wouldn't you like to know people?
Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?
Now hear this
Where will I be tomorrow?
Will I beg ?, Will I borrow?
I don't care, I don't care anyway
Come on, come on the time is right
The man is evil and that is right
I told you ah yes I told you
And that's no lie, oh no no
Wouldn't you like to know?
Wouldn't you like to know?
Wouldn't you like to know?
Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?
Show me
Oooh oooh oooh oooh
Wouldn't you like to know?
Wouldn't you like to know people people?
Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?
Hit it
Now listen all you people
Put out the good and keep the bad
Don't believe all you read in the Bible
You sinners get in line
Saints you leave far behind
Very soon you're gonna be his disciple
Don't listen to what mama says
Not a word not a word mama says
Or else you'll find yourself being the rival
Sure, the great lord before he died
Knelt sinners by his side
And said you're going to realise tomorrow, oh woh oh woh oh woh
No I'm not going to tell you
What you already know
'Cause time and time again
The old man said it all a long time ago
Come on come on the time is right
This evil man will fight
I told you once before
Hear it
No
Wouldn't you like to know?
Wouldn't you like to know?
Just like I said before
Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
The last time I tell you
Would you like to see?
Born on the twenty first of May
Died syphilis forty four on his birthday
Every second word he swore
Yes he was the son of a whore
Always wanted by the law
Wouldn't you like to know?
Wouldn't you like to know people?
Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?
Now hear this
Where will I be tomorrow?
Will I beg ?, Will I borrow?
I don't care, I don't care anyway
Come on, come on the time is right
The man is evil and that is right
I told you ah yes I told you
And that's no lie, oh no no
Wouldn't you like to know?
Wouldn't you like to know?
Wouldn't you like to know?
Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?
Show me
Oooh oooh oooh oooh
Wouldn't you like to know?
Wouldn't you like to know people people?
Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?
Hit it
Now listen all you people
Put out the good and keep the bad
Don't believe all you read in the Bible
You sinners get in line
Saints you leave far behind
Very soon you're gonna be his disciple
Don't listen to what mama says
Not a word not a word mama says
Or else you'll find yourself being the rival
Sure, the great lord before he died
Knelt sinners by his side
And said you're going to realise tomorrow, oh woh oh woh oh woh
No I'm not going to tell you
What you already know
'Cause time and time again
The old man said it all a long time ago
Come on come on the time is right
This evil man will fight
I told you once before
Hear it
No
Wouldn't you like to know?
Wouldn't you like to know?
Just like I said before
Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
The last time I tell you
Would you like to see?
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now i'm gonna tell you that this song's really good time and time again you already know.