"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.
If love was this door, I've slammed it in your face, ran out to the balcony and jumped to the ground.
I've sponged the place in gasoline before igniting the foundation and burning it to ashes.
to ashes...
If love was a plane, then I've flown it to the highest point, but then let it come crashing down to earth.
Fasten your seatbelts, we're going down now.
If love was a child then I've scolded him to no end.
He's been filled the nothing inside,
until the day when bullets filled the emptiness inside him from his own gun, from his own hands.
Love became the pill that stopped his shakes.
He's never crossed a man's face so hard.
Love became the pill that put him under.
He's never scratched a man's heart so deep.
If love was born to die then I've buried him six feet under.
if you take the one and minus him by two, you've got the end of the world before its even begun.
Although I've murdered his whole heart, I can revive him with my own two hands.
I've sponged the place in gasoline before igniting the foundation and burning it to ashes.
to ashes...
If love was a plane, then I've flown it to the highest point, but then let it come crashing down to earth.
Fasten your seatbelts, we're going down now.
If love was a child then I've scolded him to no end.
He's been filled the nothing inside,
until the day when bullets filled the emptiness inside him from his own gun, from his own hands.
Love became the pill that stopped his shakes.
He's never crossed a man's face so hard.
Love became the pill that put him under.
He's never scratched a man's heart so deep.
If love was born to die then I've buried him six feet under.
if you take the one and minus him by two, you've got the end of the world before its even begun.
Although I've murdered his whole heart, I can revive him with my own two hands.
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I don't think it is about heartbreak. Well, it can be, but not because of an earthly relationship.
I think it's talking about how God did all these things for us, and we, because of our sinfulness, just continually sin against him and keep killing him over and over.
The "I can revive him with my own two hands" part is signifying praying.