"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.
Life leaks from you fingertips
onto sparkling pavement
havent heard the news you stumble stuttering
confused
Helicopters line the sky
marching men are rolling by
babies in their baskets blankly stare through space
hey hey
Ever since i first saw you
standing in the black frozen night
Ive been blind
but im driving in the dark towards you
not stopping till i catch the sunlight
In my eyes
Sirens sing over the streets
Chimpanzees are on TV
everybody's working waiting for the week
to end
Ever since i first saw you
standing in the black frozen night
Ive been blind
but im driving in the dark towards you
not stopping till i catch the sunlight
In my eyes
and nothing's left to hide
Ever since I first saw you
standing in the black frozen night
ive been blind
im running out of time
Ever since i first saw you
standing in the black frozen night
Ive been blind
but im driving in the dark towards you
not stopping till i catch the sunlight
In my eyes
and nothings left to hide
oh oh
onto sparkling pavement
havent heard the news you stumble stuttering
confused
Helicopters line the sky
marching men are rolling by
babies in their baskets blankly stare through space
hey hey
Ever since i first saw you
standing in the black frozen night
Ive been blind
but im driving in the dark towards you
not stopping till i catch the sunlight
In my eyes
Sirens sing over the streets
Chimpanzees are on TV
everybody's working waiting for the week
to end
Ever since i first saw you
standing in the black frozen night
Ive been blind
but im driving in the dark towards you
not stopping till i catch the sunlight
In my eyes
and nothing's left to hide
Ever since I first saw you
standing in the black frozen night
ive been blind
im running out of time
Ever since i first saw you
standing in the black frozen night
Ive been blind
but im driving in the dark towards you
not stopping till i catch the sunlight
In my eyes
and nothings left to hide
oh oh
Lyrics submitted by Aerion
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Fast Car
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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yeah, In Reverie is a beautiful album. You didn't honestly believe that STD wouldn't change throughout all these years. It would have been very sad if they didn't.
anyway, I think this song is either about God or about having faith in politicians. But I really think it's about God. He refers to wars and working to earn a living and just stuff that's going on today. And then he says "But i'm driving in the dark towards you/ Not stopping 'till I catch the sunlight in my eyes." I mean, that's what people basically do when they believe in God.