"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.
Baby boy
Dying under hot desert sun
Watch your colours run
did you believe the lie they told you
That christ would lead the way
And in a matter of days
Hand us victory
did you buy the bull they sold you
That the bullets and the bombs
And all the strong arms
Would bring home security
all eyes upon
Dry drunk emperor
Gold cross cross jock skull and bones
Mocking smile
He's been
Standing naked for a while
Get him gone, get him gone, get him gone
And bring all the thieves to trial
end their promise
End their dream
Watch it turn to steam
Rising to the nose of some cross legged god
Gog of magog
End times sort of thing
Oh unmentionable disgrace
Shield the children's faces
As all the monied apes
Display unimaginably poor taste
In a scramble for mastery
atta' boy get em with your gun
Till mr. mega ton
Tells us when we've won
Or
What we're gonna leave undone
all eyes upon
Dry drunk emperor
Gold cross jock skull and bones
Mocking smile
He's been
Naked for a while
Get him gone, get him gone, get him gone
And bring all his thieves to trial
what if all the fathers and the sons
Went marching with their guns
Drawn on washington
That would seal the deal
Show if it was real
This supposed freedom
what if all the bleeding hearts
Took it on themselves
To make a brand new start
Organs pumpin on their sleeves
Paint murals on the white house
Feed the leaders L.S.D
Grab your fife and drum
Grab yor gold baton
And let's meet on the lawn
Shut down this hypocrisy
Dying under hot desert sun
Watch your colours run
did you believe the lie they told you
That christ would lead the way
And in a matter of days
Hand us victory
did you buy the bull they sold you
That the bullets and the bombs
And all the strong arms
Would bring home security
all eyes upon
Dry drunk emperor
Gold cross cross jock skull and bones
Mocking smile
He's been
Standing naked for a while
Get him gone, get him gone, get him gone
And bring all the thieves to trial
end their promise
End their dream
Watch it turn to steam
Rising to the nose of some cross legged god
Gog of magog
End times sort of thing
Oh unmentionable disgrace
Shield the children's faces
As all the monied apes
Display unimaginably poor taste
In a scramble for mastery
atta' boy get em with your gun
Till mr. mega ton
Tells us when we've won
Or
What we're gonna leave undone
all eyes upon
Dry drunk emperor
Gold cross jock skull and bones
Mocking smile
He's been
Naked for a while
Get him gone, get him gone, get him gone
And bring all his thieves to trial
what if all the fathers and the sons
Went marching with their guns
Drawn on washington
That would seal the deal
Show if it was real
This supposed freedom
what if all the bleeding hearts
Took it on themselves
To make a brand new start
Organs pumpin on their sleeves
Paint murals on the white house
Feed the leaders L.S.D
Grab your fife and drum
Grab yor gold baton
And let's meet on the lawn
Shut down this hypocrisy
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"Dry drunk" equals George W. Bush, a recovering alcoholic.
Love this. Awesome call-to-arms song.