"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.
You're beautiful and that's for sure
You'll never ever fade
You're lovely, but it's not for sure
That I won't ever change
And though my love is rare
And though my love is true
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
All I need for you to know is
Your faith in me brings me to tears (ah)
Even after all these years, years
And it pains me so much to tell
That you don't know me that well
And though my love is rare
And though my love is true
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away (fly away)
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
It's not that I wanna say goodbye
It's just that every time you try
To tell me, me that you love me (oh, oh)
Each and every single day
I know I'm gonna have to eventually give you away, yeah
And though my love is rare, rare, rare
And though my love is true, yeah
Hey, I'm just scared
That we may fall through
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm like a bird (I'm like a bird)
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away (fly away)
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away (and I don't know where my soul is)
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away (I don't know where my home is)
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
You'll never ever fade
You're lovely, but it's not for sure
That I won't ever change
And though my love is rare
And though my love is true
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
All I need for you to know is
Your faith in me brings me to tears (ah)
Even after all these years, years
And it pains me so much to tell
That you don't know me that well
And though my love is rare
And though my love is true
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away (fly away)
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
It's not that I wanna say goodbye
It's just that every time you try
To tell me, me that you love me (oh, oh)
Each and every single day
I know I'm gonna have to eventually give you away, yeah
And though my love is rare, rare, rare
And though my love is true, yeah
Hey, I'm just scared
That we may fall through
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm like a bird (I'm like a bird)
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away (fly away)
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away (and I don't know where my soul is)
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away (I don't know where my home is)
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is (soul is)
I don't know where my home is
And baby, all I need for you to know is
I'm like a bird
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Fast Car
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@chris99 OMG I have been crying this whole week as i deal with grief of the death of my dog of 13.5 years and it has been rough. But this comment brought the first smile to my face in a long time and i almost spit out my Gatorade. LMFAO THANK YOU!!