"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.
Close your eyes real tight
Underneath the city lights
And you can't hear the noise below your room
Take a real deep breath
And get those feelings off your chest
We'll work it out and wake up in each other's arms
Underneath it's never over
Looking back over my shoulder
Looking back over my shoulder
Underneath it's never over
We always said that we would meet again
When we were ten years older
I hadn't thought about her in a while
Until she showed up in a dream I had
Lying listless in a bed
With a string of broken hearts
Hanging from her finger
I said, “Let's take a drive with a pack of camel lights
Into the middle of nowhere and talk about our lives”
And hear me say
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Chin up, chin up until it touches the moon
Sad and forsaken one
It's you I'm talking to
You can't take it back, no
You can't take it back, no
That's bullshit
I took it and crushed it and painted it black
I swallowed the match
It's burning at my insides
So
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Chin up, chin up until it touches the moon
Sad and forsaken one
It's you I'm talking to
Close your eyes real tight
Underneath the city lights
And you can't hear the noise below your room
Take a real deep breath
And get those feelings off your chest
We'll work it out and wake up in each other's arms
Underneath it's never over
Looking back over my shoulder
Looking back over my shoulder
Underneath it's never over
We always said that we would meet again
When we were ten years older
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Chin up, chin up until it touches the moon
Sad and forsaken one
It's you I'm talking to
Underneath the city lights
And you can't hear the noise below your room
Take a real deep breath
And get those feelings off your chest
We'll work it out and wake up in each other's arms
Underneath it's never over
Looking back over my shoulder
Looking back over my shoulder
Underneath it's never over
We always said that we would meet again
When we were ten years older
I hadn't thought about her in a while
Until she showed up in a dream I had
Lying listless in a bed
With a string of broken hearts
Hanging from her finger
I said, “Let's take a drive with a pack of camel lights
Into the middle of nowhere and talk about our lives”
And hear me say
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Chin up, chin up until it touches the moon
Sad and forsaken one
It's you I'm talking to
You can't take it back, no
You can't take it back, no
That's bullshit
I took it and crushed it and painted it black
I swallowed the match
It's burning at my insides
So
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Chin up, chin up until it touches the moon
Sad and forsaken one
It's you I'm talking to
Close your eyes real tight
Underneath the city lights
And you can't hear the noise below your room
Take a real deep breath
And get those feelings off your chest
We'll work it out and wake up in each other's arms
Underneath it's never over
Looking back over my shoulder
Looking back over my shoulder
Underneath it's never over
We always said that we would meet again
When we were ten years older
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Listen up, silence, can't let it go, gotta get it out
Chin up, chin up until it touches the moon
Sad and forsaken one
It's you I'm talking to
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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kick ass song, although i still feel keasbey nights album was the best. it all sounded different after tomas kalnoky left.