"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.
Sitting in a dark, cramped basement
Watching the sun go down behind the shades
We all try to find a way out
Realizing there is much more to today
Would I make you confess?
Maybe then we'd slow down a bit
And relax this pace, relax this pace
When everything seems to go away
I can hear the silver call my name
Nothing happens when I pray, no
Nothing happens when I pray
No nothing gold ever stays
Folks finally seen the simple view
And I've seen a way out
Through all the bars then all I seen was you
I've got an answer for these simple questions
When everything seems to go away
I can hear the silver call my name
Nothing happens when I pray, no
Nothing happens when I pray
No nothing gold ever stays
And as the shadows seem to rise behind me
I found a way to govern my ears
Everyone tends to bind up
Because they don't know
They don't realize their own fears
i can't get up, there is much more missing
Is there something to grasp?
When everything seems to go away
I can hear the silver call my name
Nothing happens when I pray, no
Nothing happens when I pray
No nothing gold ever stays
No I can't, no I can't
I can't even take a breath
No I can't, no I can't
I can't ever take a breath
When everything seems to go away
Nothing happens when I pray
No nothing gold ever stays
No nothing gold ever stays
Watching the sun go down behind the shades
We all try to find a way out
Realizing there is much more to today
Would I make you confess?
Maybe then we'd slow down a bit
And relax this pace, relax this pace
When everything seems to go away
I can hear the silver call my name
Nothing happens when I pray, no
Nothing happens when I pray
No nothing gold ever stays
Folks finally seen the simple view
And I've seen a way out
Through all the bars then all I seen was you
I've got an answer for these simple questions
When everything seems to go away
I can hear the silver call my name
Nothing happens when I pray, no
Nothing happens when I pray
No nothing gold ever stays
And as the shadows seem to rise behind me
I found a way to govern my ears
Everyone tends to bind up
Because they don't know
They don't realize their own fears
i can't get up, there is much more missing
Is there something to grasp?
When everything seems to go away
I can hear the silver call my name
Nothing happens when I pray, no
Nothing happens when I pray
No nothing gold ever stays
No I can't, no I can't
I can't even take a breath
No I can't, no I can't
I can't ever take a breath
When everything seems to go away
Nothing happens when I pray
No nothing gold ever stays
No nothing gold ever stays
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Fast Car
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