"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.
I'm gonna stand on your parade
I need to jump into your grave
Gonna stalk you I'm afraid
Wanna be your fucking pain
By the way you know it's all your fault
Yeah I will get into your head
And every day out of your bed
I'll buy you roses paint 'em red
And then I'll take you shopping
So come and get it
What the hell you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
We could run away
We could climb a tree
We could crash a car
Be celebrity
We could rob a bank
We could play guitar
We could shoot a gun
We can go too far
Bring it on now
Get it on now
Bring it on now
Get it on now
All the things that we,
All the things that we could be
If you weren't leaving me.
I'll carve your name into my skin
And every place that you have been
Watch you dream while you're asleep
I haven't slept now for a week
So come and get it
What the hell you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
We could run away
We could climb a tree
We could crash a car
Be celebrity
We could rob a bank
We could play guitar
We could shoot a gun
We can go too far
Bring it on now
Get it on now
Bring it on now
Get it on now
All the things that we, all the things that we could be
If you weren't leaving me
Yeah I'll jump from a plane
Then we'll do it again
And what life is about
So we'll take a year out
And we'll learn politics
And some new party tricks
And we'll call our friend
John
John
We'll drink in a bar
We'll walk in the park
We'll meet at the end
And again at the start
And we'll look for the light
When the daylight has gone
Then we'll run out of breath
Take the whole world on
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
We could run away
We could climb a tree
We could crash a car
Be celebrity
We could rob a bank
We could play guitar
We could shoot a gun
We can go too far
Bring it on now
Get it on now
Bring it on now
Get it on now
All the things that we,
All the things
That we could be
The things I'd do for you:
One cry out
Two free a bird
Three get a better job
A four letter word
Five is a hi-fi
Six on the beach
Twenty four-seven baby,
Eight days a week
Come on now
Get it on now
Come on now
All the things
That we could be
If you weren't leaving me.
I need to jump into your grave
Gonna stalk you I'm afraid
Wanna be your fucking pain
By the way you know it's all your fault
Yeah I will get into your head
And every day out of your bed
I'll buy you roses paint 'em red
And then I'll take you shopping
So come and get it
What the hell you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
We could run away
We could climb a tree
We could crash a car
Be celebrity
We could rob a bank
We could play guitar
We could shoot a gun
We can go too far
Bring it on now
Get it on now
Bring it on now
Get it on now
All the things that we,
All the things that we could be
If you weren't leaving me.
I'll carve your name into my skin
And every place that you have been
Watch you dream while you're asleep
I haven't slept now for a week
So come and get it
What the hell you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
We could run away
We could climb a tree
We could crash a car
Be celebrity
We could rob a bank
We could play guitar
We could shoot a gun
We can go too far
Bring it on now
Get it on now
Bring it on now
Get it on now
All the things that we, all the things that we could be
If you weren't leaving me
Yeah I'll jump from a plane
Then we'll do it again
And what life is about
So we'll take a year out
And we'll learn politics
And some new party tricks
And we'll call our friend
John
John
We'll drink in a bar
We'll walk in the park
We'll meet at the end
And again at the start
And we'll look for the light
When the daylight has gone
Then we'll run out of breath
Take the whole world on
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
We could run away
We could climb a tree
We could crash a car
Be celebrity
We could rob a bank
We could play guitar
We could shoot a gun
We can go too far
Bring it on now
Get it on now
Bring it on now
Get it on now
All the things that we,
All the things
That we could be
The things I'd do for you:
One cry out
Two free a bird
Three get a better job
A four letter word
Five is a hi-fi
Six on the beach
Twenty four-seven baby,
Eight days a week
Come on now
Get it on now
Come on now
All the things
That we could be
If you weren't leaving me.
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Fast Car
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