"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.
I could use a little spin on a red brick floor
In that crazy ol' bar when Tim locks the door
Where the walls are gonna ring and the strings are gonna bend
And it's a buss on the cheek from all my old lovers again
Oh. the Blue Ridge mountains at the fall of the night
It sure feels good when you cross that line
I'll tip my cup and holler at the moon
I'll say-a-Great White North, honey here's to you sleep tight
[Chorus:]
I've gone crazy on this road, with all of this travelin' alone,
But the asphalt is burnin' tonight
The New England Spring's been good to me
There's been warmth to lend and good lines to sing
But, how I miss my native tongue
'cause, New York City sorta brings out the stupids in me
I've got one more stop down in Tennessee
My sweetheart is there just a-waitin' on me
Then it's on down the road kickin' East Texas dust
I'll catch my breath with that hot Houston neon buzzin'
[Chorus]
Oh, here comes a little spin on a red brick floor
It's a crazy ol' bar and Tim's locked the door
The wall's are ringin', the strings are gonna bend
And it's a buss on the cheek from all my old lovers again
In that crazy ol' bar when Tim locks the door
Where the walls are gonna ring and the strings are gonna bend
And it's a buss on the cheek from all my old lovers again
Oh. the Blue Ridge mountains at the fall of the night
It sure feels good when you cross that line
I'll tip my cup and holler at the moon
I'll say-a-Great White North, honey here's to you sleep tight
[Chorus:]
I've gone crazy on this road, with all of this travelin' alone,
But the asphalt is burnin' tonight
The New England Spring's been good to me
There's been warmth to lend and good lines to sing
But, how I miss my native tongue
'cause, New York City sorta brings out the stupids in me
I've got one more stop down in Tennessee
My sweetheart is there just a-waitin' on me
Then it's on down the road kickin' East Texas dust
I'll catch my breath with that hot Houston neon buzzin'
[Chorus]
Oh, here comes a little spin on a red brick floor
It's a crazy ol' bar and Tim's locked the door
The wall's are ringin', the strings are gonna bend
And it's a buss on the cheek from all my old lovers again
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Fast Car
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
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