"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.
Everytime the phone rings I get a little nervous
Cuz it just might be her
And if I see her in the hallway I feel like I will get sick
I don't know what to do about this
It's getting better
With someone I once knew
I saw you at the carwash, you waved and said hello
I just looked away
I saw you at the movies, I just didn't know
I didn't know what to say
Maybe just a birthday card, maybe just a smile
Maybe just sit and talk for a while
But when I'm around you I can't even talk
My legs get weak and I can barely walk
In a year I'll see you walking down the street
You'll ask how was my day
I'll say that it was alright and how about yours
Everything will be okay
Cuz it just might be her
And if I see her in the hallway I feel like I will get sick
I don't know what to do about this
It's getting better
With someone I once knew
I saw you at the carwash, you waved and said hello
I just looked away
I saw you at the movies, I just didn't know
I didn't know what to say
Maybe just a birthday card, maybe just a smile
Maybe just sit and talk for a while
But when I'm around you I can't even talk
My legs get weak and I can barely walk
In a year I'll see you walking down the street
You'll ask how was my day
I'll say that it was alright and how about yours
Everything will be okay
Lyrics submitted by XXXCatalepticWishXXX
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