"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.
One, two, three, nil
Yeah
Chaos, it's just the beginning
Every promise I made I'm rescinding
Center mass in the middle of the monster
I'm getting tired of drowning the constant
Cry for help it's debatable
The only reason that you love me is I'm hated by all
Come on, come see dysfunction
I guess we're gonna leave it open for discussion
Who am I?
And where am I going?
Maybe I'm looking in the wrong direction
Maybe I'm looking for any direction
This is not my war
This is not my fight
This is something more
This is not my life
(This is not my) revolution
(This is not my) convolution
(This is not my) expectation
(This is not my) desperation
Yeah, holed up, scarred and tamed for the hell of it
Look at me, I am the glorified malcontent
Save me? Save this
All I gotta do is give up, and all is forgiven
I'm sick of being the butt of a cosmic joke
And I don't get the punchline
A million people lined up for miles
To see the great big mouth shut up and apologize
This is not my war
This is not my fight
This is something more
This is not my life
(This is not my) revolution
(This is not my) convolution
(This is not my) only reason to question why
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today I said goodbye
Yeah
I'm the pariah (break me)
I am the liar (save me)
I can take anything (make me)
Accuse me of everything (kill me)
Cut off the system (slay me)
Deny my existence (waste me)
I won't be afraid (try me)
I won't be unmade (take me)
Come on, break it off
Come on, buy the lie
Come on, say it, say it
Come on, say goodbye
Goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
One (one), two (two), three (three), nil
Yes
Yeah
Chaos, it's just the beginning
Every promise I made I'm rescinding
Center mass in the middle of the monster
I'm getting tired of drowning the constant
Cry for help it's debatable
The only reason that you love me is I'm hated by all
Come on, come see dysfunction
I guess we're gonna leave it open for discussion
Who am I?
And where am I going?
Maybe I'm looking in the wrong direction
Maybe I'm looking for any direction
This is not my war
This is not my fight
This is something more
This is not my life
(This is not my) revolution
(This is not my) convolution
(This is not my) expectation
(This is not my) desperation
Yeah, holed up, scarred and tamed for the hell of it
Look at me, I am the glorified malcontent
Save me? Save this
All I gotta do is give up, and all is forgiven
I'm sick of being the butt of a cosmic joke
And I don't get the punchline
A million people lined up for miles
To see the great big mouth shut up and apologize
This is not my war
This is not my fight
This is something more
This is not my life
(This is not my) revolution
(This is not my) convolution
(This is not my) only reason to question why
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today I said goodbye
Yeah
I'm the pariah (break me)
I am the liar (save me)
I can take anything (make me)
Accuse me of everything (kill me)
Cut off the system (slay me)
Deny my existence (waste me)
I won't be afraid (try me)
I won't be unmade (take me)
Come on, break it off
Come on, buy the lie
Come on, say it, say it
Come on, say goodbye
Goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
Oh I didn't need to leave to stay right here
Today, I said goodbye, goodbye
One (one), two (two), three (three), nil
Yes
Lyrics submitted by NeutralPunkGuy, edited by MetalheadMike
Three Nil Lyrics as written by Christopher Fehn Michael Crahan
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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Who the fuck is this NeutralPunkGuy person, and how did he manage to fuck up the lyrics to EVERY song off the new album. Because I'm lazy, I won't point them all out, but here for example, the lines are actually: I'm the PARIAH (Break Me) I am THE LIAR (Save Me) I can't take anything (Make Me) Accuse me of everything (TAKE Me)
Cut off the system (SHAPE Me) Deny my existance (WASTE Me) I won't be afraid (Try Me) I won't be unmade (DENY Me!)
And that's all straight from the lyrics that came with the the CD. There's a number of other errors in this song, and a ton in every other song from Vol 3. as well. If you're going to post the lyrics, do it right or don't do it at all, Jerky!