"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.
Uh
All aboard, stitch in time
Get yours, got mine
In a minute, I'll be there
Sit tight, get square (tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic)
You can do it at the hippodrome (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
Slide back, trombone (wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait)
Anybody got a TV at home? (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
That's right, unknown
When I pick up on that smell, pick it up and run like hell
Little woman, save me some, better get up on your run
(Huh)
So much more than
Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and
And Charlie's shakin' me
And tell my story
And Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
Oh, whoa, now
(Tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic)
(One, one, one, one, one, one more)
(Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait)
(One, one, one, one, one, one more)
Everybody do the twist
Get the message on Flea's fists
Move around like a scientist
Lay down, get kissed (tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic)
Big picture and it never lies (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
Big daddy will advice (wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait)
EverReady in disguise (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
Sunset, sunrise
When I pick up on that smell, pick it up and run like hell
Little woman, save me some, better get up on your run
Huh
So much more than
Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and
And Charlie's shakin' me
And tell my story
And Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
Whoa-whoa, now
My heart, your skin
This love, I'm in
We don't arrive without a surprise
You're right, I'm wrong
Be free, belong
Intimate sight has come into light
When I pick up on that smell, pick it up and run like hell
Little woman, save me some, better get up on your run
All I ever wanted to was pick it up and run with you
Slip into a summer spell, double up and run like hell
Huh
So much more than
Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and
And Charlie's shakin' me
And tell my story
And Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
No, whoa, now
My heart, your skin
This love, I'm in
We don't arrive without a surprise
You're right, I'm wrong
Be free, belong
Intimate sight has come into light
My heart, your skin
This love, I'm in
We don't arrive without a surprise
You're right, I'm wrong
Be free, belong
Intimate sight has come into light
All aboard, stitch in time
Get yours, got mine
In a minute, I'll be there
Sit tight, get square (tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic)
You can do it at the hippodrome (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
Slide back, trombone (wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait)
Anybody got a TV at home? (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
That's right, unknown
When I pick up on that smell, pick it up and run like hell
Little woman, save me some, better get up on your run
(Huh)
So much more than
Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and
And Charlie's shakin' me
And tell my story
And Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
Oh, whoa, now
(Tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic)
(One, one, one, one, one, one more)
(Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait)
(One, one, one, one, one, one more)
Everybody do the twist
Get the message on Flea's fists
Move around like a scientist
Lay down, get kissed (tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic)
Big picture and it never lies (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
Big daddy will advice (wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait)
EverReady in disguise (one, one, one, one, one, one more)
Sunset, sunrise
When I pick up on that smell, pick it up and run like hell
Little woman, save me some, better get up on your run
Huh
So much more than
Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and
And Charlie's shakin' me
And tell my story
And Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
Whoa-whoa, now
My heart, your skin
This love, I'm in
We don't arrive without a surprise
You're right, I'm wrong
Be free, belong
Intimate sight has come into light
When I pick up on that smell, pick it up and run like hell
Little woman, save me some, better get up on your run
All I ever wanted to was pick it up and run with you
Slip into a summer spell, double up and run like hell
Huh
So much more than
Charlie's wakin' me
To my core and
And Charlie's shakin' me
And tell my story
And Charlie's makin' me
And Charlie's makin' me smile
No, whoa, now
My heart, your skin
This love, I'm in
We don't arrive without a surprise
You're right, I'm wrong
Be free, belong
Intimate sight has come into light
My heart, your skin
This love, I'm in
We don't arrive without a surprise
You're right, I'm wrong
Be free, belong
Intimate sight has come into light
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I don't think this song is about kiedis's enjoyment of drugs since he's been clean for several years. Either way though, I think this is probably my favorite song off the new album.