"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.
We’re a pantomime horse
There’s a stupid suit where our relationship was
And we’re stuck inside, we’re stuck inside
There’s nowhere to gallop and there’s nowhere to hide
We’re a pantomime horse
The two of us down on all fours
And we’re running around blind
We’re running around blind
With you in front and me behind of course
Clever Hans
We’re a pantomime horse
And I’m mixing up my metaphors
And I’m starting to see red, I’m starting to see red
Hi ho Silver, Hello Mr Ed
Clever Hans
Have we laid our bets, have we run our race?
Have we gone to pasture, have we given up the chase?
We’ve got the world at our feet
You’ve got the whip in your hands
But we’re a hundred-to-one
We’re an outside chance
Sometimes it seems like no one understands
Clever Hans
We’re a pantomime horse
The two of us down on all fours
And we’re running around fast
We’re running around fast
You’re a nose ahead
And in the end I’m just the arse
There’s a stupid suit where our relationship was
And we’re stuck inside, we’re stuck inside
There’s nowhere to gallop and there’s nowhere to hide
We’re a pantomime horse
The two of us down on all fours
And we’re running around blind
We’re running around blind
With you in front and me behind of course
Clever Hans
We’re a pantomime horse
And I’m mixing up my metaphors
And I’m starting to see red, I’m starting to see red
Hi ho Silver, Hello Mr Ed
Clever Hans
Have we laid our bets, have we run our race?
Have we gone to pasture, have we given up the chase?
We’ve got the world at our feet
You’ve got the whip in your hands
But we’re a hundred-to-one
We’re an outside chance
Sometimes it seems like no one understands
Clever Hans
We’re a pantomime horse
The two of us down on all fours
And we’re running around fast
We’re running around fast
You’re a nose ahead
And in the end I’m just the arse
Lyrics submitted by BlueAndStarry
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Such an awesome sing-a-long song. Cleverly written too. Clever Hans.