"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.
Sometimes I’m sad and I don’t know why
I sit under the stars and I almost cry
And at times like these, you know,
I’m lonely and I wanna die
When you’re looking for a cigarette to ease your pain
And your life’s a drag and you work in vain
Burn down your office and walk out into the rain
Life is short, you’ve got to look around
Pretty soon, you’ll be all grown up
With dead-eyed kids and a life of hell
Stick with me and we’ll feel swell
Lonely hearts company
Selling shares in sympathy
Lonely hearts company
Share with me your misery...
Well I don’t like to smoke, cause it takes your cash
And I don’t roll notes, cause I ain’t that flash
But at times like these, you know, I feel like getting trashed
Yet the thing about you, is that you see me through
And I can sit around and just talk to you
This world is such a cynical place, people can be so cruel
Life is short, you’ve got to look around
Pretty soon, you’ll be all grown up
With dead-eyed kids and a life of hell
Stick with me and we’ll feel swell
Lonely hearts company
Selling shares in sympathy
Lonely hearts company
Share with me your misery (x2)
I sit under the stars and I almost cry
And at times like these, you know,
I’m lonely and I wanna die
When you’re looking for a cigarette to ease your pain
And your life’s a drag and you work in vain
Burn down your office and walk out into the rain
Life is short, you’ve got to look around
Pretty soon, you’ll be all grown up
With dead-eyed kids and a life of hell
Stick with me and we’ll feel swell
Lonely hearts company
Selling shares in sympathy
Lonely hearts company
Share with me your misery...
Well I don’t like to smoke, cause it takes your cash
And I don’t roll notes, cause I ain’t that flash
But at times like these, you know, I feel like getting trashed
Yet the thing about you, is that you see me through
And I can sit around and just talk to you
This world is such a cynical place, people can be so cruel
Life is short, you’ve got to look around
Pretty soon, you’ll be all grown up
With dead-eyed kids and a life of hell
Stick with me and we’ll feel swell
Lonely hearts company
Selling shares in sympathy
Lonely hearts company
Share with me your misery (x2)
Lyrics submitted by thisisgettingsilly
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