"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.
There's some kind of light
At the end
When touching the edge of her skin
(Edge of her skin)
Once so hard to speak now so easy to play around
Catching your eye you know
That eye that slapped you in your face
Calls you a puppy
Well, how do you say I was hypnotized
Hypnotized
My words, they pour
Like children to the playground
Children to the playground
You make me smile
Some kind of light at the end
Stoned, forgetful, and then
I'm drinking what used to be sin and touching the edge of her skin
Could you be the one that's not afraid to look me in the eye?
I swear I would collapse if I would tell how I think you fell
From the sky
My words, they pour
Like children to the playground
Children to the playground
You make me smile
Some kind of light at the end
Stoned, forgetful, and then
I'm drinking what used to be sin and touching the edge of her skin
There's some kind of light at the end
Stoned, forgetful, and then
I'm drinking what used to be sin and touching the edge of her skin
It's the feeling I get
My palms with sweat
Like some kind of daydream I'll never forget
I'm stuck in this spin
Why does it begin
By touching the edge of her skin
It's the feeling I get
My palms with sweat
Like some kind of daydream I'll never forget
I'm stuck in this spin
Why does it begin
By touching the edge of her skin
There's some kind of light at the end
Stoned, forgetful, and then
I'm drinking what used to be sin and touching the edge of her skin
There's some kind of light at the end
Stoned, forgetful, and then
I'm drinking what used to be sin and touching the edge of her skin
Wow, oh, wow, oh, wow, oh, oh, oh, ah
Wow, oh, wow, oh, wow, oh, oh
Wow, oh, wow, oh, wow, oh, oh, oh, ah
Wow, oh, wow, oh, wow, oh, oh
At the end
When touching the edge of her skin
(Edge of her skin)
Once so hard to speak now so easy to play around
Catching your eye you know
That eye that slapped you in your face
Calls you a puppy
Well, how do you say I was hypnotized
Hypnotized
My words, they pour
Like children to the playground
Children to the playground
You make me smile
Some kind of light at the end
Stoned, forgetful, and then
I'm drinking what used to be sin and touching the edge of her skin
Could you be the one that's not afraid to look me in the eye?
I swear I would collapse if I would tell how I think you fell
From the sky
My words, they pour
Like children to the playground
Children to the playground
You make me smile
Some kind of light at the end
Stoned, forgetful, and then
I'm drinking what used to be sin and touching the edge of her skin
There's some kind of light at the end
Stoned, forgetful, and then
I'm drinking what used to be sin and touching the edge of her skin
It's the feeling I get
My palms with sweat
Like some kind of daydream I'll never forget
I'm stuck in this spin
Why does it begin
By touching the edge of her skin
It's the feeling I get
My palms with sweat
Like some kind of daydream I'll never forget
I'm stuck in this spin
Why does it begin
By touching the edge of her skin
There's some kind of light at the end
Stoned, forgetful, and then
I'm drinking what used to be sin and touching the edge of her skin
There's some kind of light at the end
Stoned, forgetful, and then
I'm drinking what used to be sin and touching the edge of her skin
Wow, oh, wow, oh, wow, oh, oh, oh, ah
Wow, oh, wow, oh, wow, oh, oh
Wow, oh, wow, oh, wow, oh, oh, oh, ah
Wow, oh, wow, oh, wow, oh, oh
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I think this song is just his being happy to be around her by the line "there's kind of light at the end when touching the edge of her skin" and he can mean a simple brush between arms. This song tells about the stages of a relationship "at first so hard to speak now so easy to play around" I am sure most of us are completely shy around someone we like but soon enough it gets easier to talk and mess around with them. "my words the pour like children to the play ground you make me smile" this is self explanitory his words are getting easier to say and they pour out quickly. Really this song is just about something forbiden, something that he longs for, but knows more then likely he wont have it.