"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.
Tell me…cause I would trade tonight for yesterday?
I…I can see it slippin’ down the drain
And I just can’t explain
Why you are the reason that I’m stained
Tell me…cause I don’t know if I deserve the blame?
I…I feel the words I hear are just profane
But I …I just can’t complain
Still you are the reason that I’m stained
Do you remember what you left behind?
Were you ever even here?
Do you remember if it was beautiful?
Or have the memories disappeared?
Excuse me…will the water on the beach wash this away
I can see the footprints in the sand we’ve made
I think of you and me most everyday
And I just need to find the words to say
Do you remember what you left behind?
Were you ever even here?
Do you remember if it was beautiful?
Or have the memories disappeared?
Can you and I change the world for the better
If we lose ourselves and went back to the start
Maybe I should just try to forget her
And just find myself and let it fall apart
Do you remember what you left behind?
Were you ever even here?
Do you remember if it was beautiful?
Or have the memories disappeared?
Do you remember what you left behind?
Were you ever even here?
Do you remember if it was beautiful?
Or have the memories faded?
What if you’d just waited?
Or have the memories disappeared?
I…I can see it slippin’ down the drain
And I just can’t explain
Why you are the reason that I’m stained
Tell me…cause I don’t know if I deserve the blame?
I…I feel the words I hear are just profane
But I …I just can’t complain
Still you are the reason that I’m stained
Do you remember what you left behind?
Were you ever even here?
Do you remember if it was beautiful?
Or have the memories disappeared?
Excuse me…will the water on the beach wash this away
I can see the footprints in the sand we’ve made
I think of you and me most everyday
And I just need to find the words to say
Do you remember what you left behind?
Were you ever even here?
Do you remember if it was beautiful?
Or have the memories disappeared?
Can you and I change the world for the better
If we lose ourselves and went back to the start
Maybe I should just try to forget her
And just find myself and let it fall apart
Do you remember what you left behind?
Were you ever even here?
Do you remember if it was beautiful?
Or have the memories disappeared?
Do you remember what you left behind?
Were you ever even here?
Do you remember if it was beautiful?
Or have the memories faded?
What if you’d just waited?
Or have the memories disappeared?
Lyrics submitted by T_mo55
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