"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.
It's a fairytale so tragic
There's no prince to break the spell
I don't believe in the magic
But for you I will, yeah for you I will
If I'm a fool, I'll be a fool
Darlin' for you
I'm countin' on a miracle
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle
Darlin' I'm countin' on miracle
To come through
There ain't no storybook story
There's no never-ending song
Our happily ever after darlin'
Forever come and gone, yeah I'm movin' on
If I'm gonna believe, I'll put my faith
Darlin' in you
Well I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Darlin' I'm countin' on a miracle to come through
Sleeping beauty awakes from her dream
With her lover's kiss on her lips
Your kiss was taken from me
Now all I have is this
Your kiss, your kiss, your touch, your touch
Your heart, your heart, your strength, your strength
Your hope, your hope, your faith, your faith
Your face, your face, your love, your love
Your dream, your dream, your life, your life
I'm runnin' through the forest
With the wolf at my heels
My king is lost at midnight
When the tower bells peal
We've got no fairytale ending
In God's hands our fate is complete
Your heaven's here in my heart
Our love's this dust beneath my feet
Just this dust beneath my feet
If I'm gonna live
I'll lift my life
Darlin' to you
Well I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Darlin' I'm countin' on a miracle to come through
Well I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Darlin' I'm countin' on a miracle to come through
Well I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Darlin' I'm countin' on a miracle to come through
Well I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
There's no prince to break the spell
I don't believe in the magic
But for you I will, yeah for you I will
If I'm a fool, I'll be a fool
Darlin' for you
I'm countin' on a miracle
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle
Darlin' I'm countin' on miracle
To come through
There ain't no storybook story
There's no never-ending song
Our happily ever after darlin'
Forever come and gone, yeah I'm movin' on
If I'm gonna believe, I'll put my faith
Darlin' in you
Well I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Darlin' I'm countin' on a miracle to come through
Sleeping beauty awakes from her dream
With her lover's kiss on her lips
Your kiss was taken from me
Now all I have is this
Your kiss, your kiss, your touch, your touch
Your heart, your heart, your strength, your strength
Your hope, your hope, your faith, your faith
Your face, your face, your love, your love
Your dream, your dream, your life, your life
I'm runnin' through the forest
With the wolf at my heels
My king is lost at midnight
When the tower bells peal
We've got no fairytale ending
In God's hands our fate is complete
Your heaven's here in my heart
Our love's this dust beneath my feet
Just this dust beneath my feet
If I'm gonna live
I'll lift my life
Darlin' to you
Well I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Darlin' I'm countin' on a miracle to come through
Well I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Darlin' I'm countin' on a miracle to come through
Well I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
Darlin' I'm countin' on a miracle to come through
Well I'm countin' on a miracle (countin' on a miracle)
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i have the same meaning NGwarfare. It's about losing a loved one, and first don't believe she is really gone. I love especially the last lines where he on her funeral takes farewell of his love with this lines: Your heaven's here in my heart Our love's this dust beneath my feet Just this dust beneath my feet If I'm gonna live I'll lift my life Darlin' to you