"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.
Would you go with me if we rolled down streets of fire?
Would you hold on to me tighter as the summer sun got higher?
If we roll from town to town and never shut it down
Would you go with me if we were lost in fields of clover?
Would we walk even closer until the trip was over?
And would it be okay if I didn't know the way?
If I gave you my hand would you take it
And make me the happiest man in the world?
If I told you my heart couldn't beat one more minute without you, girl
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea
Let me know if you're really a dream
I love you so, so would you go with me?
Would you go with me if we rode the clouds together?
Could you not look down forever?
If you were lighter than a feather
Oh, and if I set you free, would you go with me?
If I gave you my hand would you take it
And make me the happiest man in the world?
If I told you my heart couldn't beat one more minute without you, girl
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea
Help me tie up the ends of a dream?
I gotta know, would you go with me?
I love you so, so would you go with me?
Would you hold on to me tighter as the summer sun got higher?
If we roll from town to town and never shut it down
Would you go with me if we were lost in fields of clover?
Would we walk even closer until the trip was over?
And would it be okay if I didn't know the way?
If I gave you my hand would you take it
And make me the happiest man in the world?
If I told you my heart couldn't beat one more minute without you, girl
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea
Let me know if you're really a dream
I love you so, so would you go with me?
Would you go with me if we rode the clouds together?
Could you not look down forever?
If you were lighter than a feather
Oh, and if I set you free, would you go with me?
If I gave you my hand would you take it
And make me the happiest man in the world?
If I told you my heart couldn't beat one more minute without you, girl
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea
Help me tie up the ends of a dream?
I gotta know, would you go with me?
I love you so, so would you go with me?
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This song is awesome! I love singing along!