"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.
My bodyguard shows her revolver to anyone who asks
And yeah she comes to attention when you come up to me too fast
For a little while you'll be here, the only good part of me
For a little while you'll be here
So lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie Manhattan
Lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie
You wear skirt like a flag
And everything surrounds you, and it doesn't fade
Nothing like this sound I make
That only lasts the season
And only heard by bedroom kids who buy it for that reason
'Cause you're the low life of the party, bad blood
Bad blood for everybody
I'm in control and I believe
So lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie Manhattan
Lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie from your bad blood
From your bad blood
'Cause you're the low life of the party, bad blood
Bad blood for everybody
I'm in control and I believe
So lit up, lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie Manhattan
Lit up, lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie
And yeah she comes to attention when you come up to me too fast
For a little while you'll be here, the only good part of me
For a little while you'll be here
So lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie Manhattan
Lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie
You wear skirt like a flag
And everything surrounds you, and it doesn't fade
Nothing like this sound I make
That only lasts the season
And only heard by bedroom kids who buy it for that reason
'Cause you're the low life of the party, bad blood
Bad blood for everybody
I'm in control and I believe
So lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie Manhattan
Lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie from your bad blood
From your bad blood
'Cause you're the low life of the party, bad blood
Bad blood for everybody
I'm in control and I believe
So lit up, lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie Manhattan
Lit up, lit up, lit up, lit up alright
I try to untie
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Ed Sheeran
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The National to me always projected that "lover and a fighter" image, and "lighting someone up" is a term that's used when someone decisively wins a fight, so... I mean, with the party references, and the chorus line "I tried it one time and got lit up" - sounds like he's describing getting drunk at a party and trying to be a tough guy - definitely seems like a very National-esque activity