"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.
Keep trying, keep keep on trying
Keep trying, keep keep on trying
Everybody's saying
What can we do to make it better?
Day out and day in
We're standing on the edge of forever
Can we make it? Can we try?
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
And the news just keeps on breaking Â
It's breaking now more than ever
Everybody aiming
To be a name and not a number
Can we make it? Can we try?
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
Who really cares what clothes we wear
Who styles our hair
Or what goes on in our heads, tell me
Who really cares what books we've read
What boots we wear
All that matters is we are there
We are there, you can count me in
Keep on trying, Keep on trying
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
One more time
Don't you spend your time now wandering about forever
Day in and day out now Don't you waste Don't you waste Don't you waste�
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
You've gotta rock 'n roll you gotta save your soul
You gotta make it right, you gotta work through the night
You gotta move on up, you gotta get on down
Spinning round and round and round
Keep trying, keep keep on trying
Everybody's saying
What can we do to make it better?
Day out and day in
We're standing on the edge of forever
Can we make it? Can we try?
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
And the news just keeps on breaking Â
It's breaking now more than ever
Everybody aiming
To be a name and not a number
Can we make it? Can we try?
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
Who really cares what clothes we wear
Who styles our hair
Or what goes on in our heads, tell me
Who really cares what books we've read
What boots we wear
All that matters is we are there
We are there, you can count me in
Keep on trying, Keep on trying
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
One more time
Don't you spend your time now wandering about forever
Day in and day out now Don't you waste Don't you waste Don't you waste�
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
Can we make it? Can we make it right?
You've gotta rock 'n roll you gotta save your soul
You gotta make it right, you gotta work through the night
You gotta move on up, you gotta get on down
Spinning round and round and round
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