"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.
Goes it comes and goes
Although you try to hide it always shows.
And I try never to pretend I know
You flick the safety catch and off we go.
Shoot him down, shoot him down
Reap and sow the only thing you've left to show.
Is faith against your faith
That carves a look of love into your face.
As if you are proud of this disgrace
Accelerate and charging through the days.
You try not to listen anyway.
Not this day
Regardless of the words I had to say
Reputation's not an alibi.
(My time is your time, there won't be a later)
What do you see when you close your eyes
Like royalty or magic numbers or
Popular opinion just to prove that you are right.
A sugar spoon feed in withdrawal
And still needing for more
I ask you why you try
The lights that guide you will burn and blind you.
No tomorrow
No tomorrow.
What cannot speak cannot lie
I beg for more patience but you're still wasting
I should not have to make apologies.
Find a face
Put it on
Pretend there's no tomorrow.
Although you try to hide it always shows.
And I try never to pretend I know
You flick the safety catch and off we go.
Shoot him down, shoot him down
Reap and sow the only thing you've left to show.
Is faith against your faith
That carves a look of love into your face.
As if you are proud of this disgrace
Accelerate and charging through the days.
You try not to listen anyway.
Not this day
Regardless of the words I had to say
Reputation's not an alibi.
(My time is your time, there won't be a later)
What do you see when you close your eyes
Like royalty or magic numbers or
Popular opinion just to prove that you are right.
A sugar spoon feed in withdrawal
And still needing for more
I ask you why you try
The lights that guide you will burn and blind you.
No tomorrow
No tomorrow.
What cannot speak cannot lie
I beg for more patience but you're still wasting
I should not have to make apologies.
Find a face
Put it on
Pretend there's no tomorrow.
Lyrics submitted by theviewfromhere
No Tomorrow Lyrics as written by Mark John Heron Jonathan Ross Ellis
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Damnit I'm actually starting to agree with those seeing anti-religious themes in 'Size lyrics.
This feels to me like a religious person arguing to an atheists that he should be allowed to believe what he wants and "should not have to make apologies". It works visa versa also (with atheism), but I feel this way makes more sense. This could all be a load of rubbish though...
Can't help thinking that this is about closed-mindedness in relation to faith ("is faith against your faith", "you try not to listen anyway"). Though the atheist attempts to hide his distain for religion it "always shows".
The protagonist argues that the only thing the atheists do is "shoot down" religion with "popular opinion". He is also critical of the atheistic lifestyle of bright lights (vice - sex, drugs, money) that will burn (hell) and blind (mislead) you. The atheist is even "proud of this disgrace".
"No tomorrow" could be a reference to atheists who do not hold the religious belief that this planet is just a preparation for heaven ("tomorrow").
A couple of other things:
My favourite line is the one I can't make fit into this crazy theory. "Reputation's not a alibi". My only thoughts are that the scientific improbability that God doesn't exist (reputation) is no excuse for a hedonistic lifestyle.
Phew. Ok. Does any of this make sense to anyone or have I gone bonkers from reading pmassey's comments?
Oh, and I'm an atheist.
i used that same exact interpretation in my psychology/sociology class