"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.
When the rodeo was over, we're all go to the room.
We're drink some beer relax awhile and sing some cowboy tunes.
That old guitar we passed around, it was battered, scratched, and
Broke.
But lord it sounded mighty fine, when john ed sang "cowpoke"
Ben he'd think of some old tune, and he'd really wail away.
Dunder'd play the spoons and sing until the break of day.
Clyde he'd tell a poem or two and old rich he'd crack a joke.
But damn it nearly make you cry when john ed sang "cowpoke"
Someday this road I travel, lord I will leave behind.
But memories of the things I've seen will never leave my mind.
On a quiet summer's evening when the sun is sinking low,
I'll think again of days gone by when john ed sang "cowpoke".
We're drink some beer relax awhile and sing some cowboy tunes.
That old guitar we passed around, it was battered, scratched, and
Broke.
But lord it sounded mighty fine, when john ed sang "cowpoke"
Ben he'd think of some old tune, and he'd really wail away.
Dunder'd play the spoons and sing until the break of day.
Clyde he'd tell a poem or two and old rich he'd crack a joke.
But damn it nearly make you cry when john ed sang "cowpoke"
Someday this road I travel, lord I will leave behind.
But memories of the things I've seen will never leave my mind.
On a quiet summer's evening when the sun is sinking low,
I'll think again of days gone by when john ed sang "cowpoke".
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