"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.
Tasha's got a room at the county shelter
The cops took her there when her mama got hauled away
Little brother and her can't even stay together
She cries each night wondering why it's gotta be this way
And she says "I wish I was anyone but me"
Yeah she'd pack her life in a heartbeat for a little change of scenery
And she keeps looking for a better place
Somewhere she can wear a smile upon her face
A home to welcome with a warm embrace
There's no way to disguise her lonely eyes
Looking for a better place
Bobby's doing time in youth detention
Pulled a switch blade knife on some boy making fun at school
And all he wanted was a little attention
And a temporary escape from the ridicule
And now he's in real deep with the freaks and the criminals
And he wonders when his time is up if he'll know himself at all
And he keeps dreaming of a better place
Somewhere he can have a little room to make mistakes
A home to help him wash the past away
Oh he don't need too much, just a little love
In a better place
In a better place
Jamie's got a room in a 3-story brick home
Daddy makes a lotta money, mama keeps her laundry clean
And she's got a $200 Abercrombie outfit on
Drives a brand new car that she got when she turned 16
Still she spends every night getting high with her so-called friends
And she's dropping hundred dollar bills on quarterbacks, says she's never coming down again
And she keeps looking for a better place
Failing to realize how good she's got it made
Her loving home, she don't appreciate
Oh it's crazy but it's true, she doesn't have a clue
She's living in a better place
In a better place
In a better place
We're all lookin for a better place
The cops took her there when her mama got hauled away
Little brother and her can't even stay together
She cries each night wondering why it's gotta be this way
And she says "I wish I was anyone but me"
Yeah she'd pack her life in a heartbeat for a little change of scenery
And she keeps looking for a better place
Somewhere she can wear a smile upon her face
A home to welcome with a warm embrace
There's no way to disguise her lonely eyes
Looking for a better place
Bobby's doing time in youth detention
Pulled a switch blade knife on some boy making fun at school
And all he wanted was a little attention
And a temporary escape from the ridicule
And now he's in real deep with the freaks and the criminals
And he wonders when his time is up if he'll know himself at all
And he keeps dreaming of a better place
Somewhere he can have a little room to make mistakes
A home to help him wash the past away
Oh he don't need too much, just a little love
In a better place
In a better place
Jamie's got a room in a 3-story brick home
Daddy makes a lotta money, mama keeps her laundry clean
And she's got a $200 Abercrombie outfit on
Drives a brand new car that she got when she turned 16
Still she spends every night getting high with her so-called friends
And she's dropping hundred dollar bills on quarterbacks, says she's never coming down again
And she keeps looking for a better place
Failing to realize how good she's got it made
Her loving home, she don't appreciate
Oh it's crazy but it's true, she doesn't have a clue
She's living in a better place
In a better place
In a better place
We're all lookin for a better place
Lyrics submitted by insomniac328
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Shame this song has no feedback other than this comment. It's a great piece, and Corey clearly shows his ability to write serious songs. The bare acoustic track provides a great atmosphere, and the lyrics speak for themselves.
the song has so much truth in it: "It's crazy but it's true, she doesn't have a clue"