"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.
Well it's a close one, a real close one
And no-one gets hurt, but she's got twice the fun
But now they kiss in the rain
And did someone call out someone's name
From a white cadillac on a wide wind
To her white dress across the great divide
Into the warm moonlight
And she's been reading Bukowski for days
And she leans over, spits her name in my face
And says "Well now you know how it feels"
Well now you know how it feels
[Chorus]
And I was looking for you
Looking for you
Looking for you in the city last night
The boys in the band steal a kiss in the mystery of the night
11:59 to zero, live a blonde hair in jeans, holds her tight
Turns on the heat and starts to fight and sayin' "that's my man"
Well the myth of love must have been there
The spirit of possession was there
And the boys over at the bar
Yeah they're mixing up their medicine
The girls were on their mobile trying to get reception
Johnny's shadow's getting long but he keeps on singing
His shadow getting long but he keeps on singing
[Chorus]
And people so strange
People so strange
People just keep talking in the city last night
Take off your shades and scroll down to number nine
You're living on the guest list, up against the big rack
Head back, hand highs, it's getting loud in here
Think you're going to have to shout
And she's tearing off her clothes
He's stirring all his drinks, oh yeah
Streets divide them
It's an empire of signs
Honey say she can read
And it looks like trouble
And it tastes like chocolate if you want it
It looks like trouble
And it tastes like chocolate if you want it
[Chorus]
And people so strange
People so strange
People just keep talking in the city last night
And I was looking for you
And I was looking for you
And I was looking for you in the city last night
And I was looking for you
Yeah I was looking for you
Yeah I was looking for you in the city last night
It's alright!
It's alright!
If you say my name
It's alright!
And no-one gets hurt, but she's got twice the fun
But now they kiss in the rain
And did someone call out someone's name
From a white cadillac on a wide wind
To her white dress across the great divide
Into the warm moonlight
And she's been reading Bukowski for days
And she leans over, spits her name in my face
And says "Well now you know how it feels"
Well now you know how it feels
[Chorus]
And I was looking for you
Looking for you
Looking for you in the city last night
The boys in the band steal a kiss in the mystery of the night
11:59 to zero, live a blonde hair in jeans, holds her tight
Turns on the heat and starts to fight and sayin' "that's my man"
Well the myth of love must have been there
The spirit of possession was there
And the boys over at the bar
Yeah they're mixing up their medicine
The girls were on their mobile trying to get reception
Johnny's shadow's getting long but he keeps on singing
His shadow getting long but he keeps on singing
[Chorus]
And people so strange
People so strange
People just keep talking in the city last night
Take off your shades and scroll down to number nine
You're living on the guest list, up against the big rack
Head back, hand highs, it's getting loud in here
Think you're going to have to shout
And she's tearing off her clothes
He's stirring all his drinks, oh yeah
Streets divide them
It's an empire of signs
Honey say she can read
And it looks like trouble
And it tastes like chocolate if you want it
It looks like trouble
And it tastes like chocolate if you want it
[Chorus]
And people so strange
People so strange
People just keep talking in the city last night
And I was looking for you
And I was looking for you
And I was looking for you in the city last night
And I was looking for you
Yeah I was looking for you
Yeah I was looking for you in the city last night
It's alright!
It's alright!
If you say my name
It's alright!
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