"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.
Meet me at midnight at the broadcast tower high about the Hollywood sign
You bring your guitar and I'll bring my radio, radio
Everyone will come from miles around to witness this beautiful sight
We'll set bonfires, pretend it's the 4th of July
This is the starting of a brand new revolution
Bite the hand that feeds
Stand up and fight against the messages that they're sending...
Stop their frequency
You're always taking, it's never ending
It's about time that we turned off the radio
Call the request lines and tell them that it's over
You're always playing all of the same songs over and over again
It's about time that we turned off the radio
We'll listen to be-sides and sing-along to anthems of the years gone by
Integrity and honesty will prevail tonight
When it's all over, one question still remains
Why do so many bands never make it to the radio?
Look outside of your FM dial
They're preaching lines in 4/4 time
A generation without a voice and stipped of pride
You bring your guitar and I'll bring my radio, radio
Everyone will come from miles around to witness this beautiful sight
We'll set bonfires, pretend it's the 4th of July
This is the starting of a brand new revolution
Bite the hand that feeds
Stand up and fight against the messages that they're sending...
Stop their frequency
You're always taking, it's never ending
It's about time that we turned off the radio
Call the request lines and tell them that it's over
You're always playing all of the same songs over and over again
It's about time that we turned off the radio
We'll listen to be-sides and sing-along to anthems of the years gone by
Integrity and honesty will prevail tonight
When it's all over, one question still remains
Why do so many bands never make it to the radio?
Look outside of your FM dial
They're preaching lines in 4/4 time
A generation without a voice and stipped of pride
Lyrics submitted by ADimeADexter
Radio #2 Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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It's kind of Ironic that this song is on their album with a single on MTV :-/ Go figure...