"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.
Casey joins the hollow sound of silent people walkin'
Down the stairway to the subway in the shadows down below
Following their footsteps through the neon darkened coridors
Of silent desperation, never speakin' to a soul
The poison air he's breathin' has the dirty smell of dyin'
'Cause it's never seen the sunshine and it's never felt the rain
But Casey minds the arrows and ignores the fatal echoes
Of the clickin' of the turnstile and the rattle of his chains
"Oh", she said "Casey it's been so long since I've seen you"
"Here" she said, "Just a kiss to make a body smile"
"See" she said, "I've put on new stockings just to please you"
"Lord" she said, "Casey can you only stay awhile"
Casey leaves the underground and stops inside the Golden Crown
For somethin' wet to wipe away the chill that's on his bones
See'ing his reflection in the lives of all the lonely men
Who reach for anything they can to keep from going home
Standing in the corner, Casey drinks his pint of bitter,
Never glancing in the mirror at the people passing by
Then he stumbles as he's leavin' and he wonders if the reason
Is the beer that's in his belly or the tear that's in his eye
"Oh" she said, "I suppose you seldom think about me"
"Now" she said, "Now that you've a family of your own"
"Still" she said, "It's so blessed good to feel your body"
"Lord" she said, "Casey, it's a shame to be alone"
"Oh" she said, "Casey, it's been so long since I've seen you"
"Here" she said "Just a kiss to make a body smile"
"See" she said, "I've put on new stockings just to please you"
"Lord" she said, "Casey, can you only stay a while"
"Lord" she said, "Casey it's a shame to be alone"
Down the stairway to the subway in the shadows down below
Following their footsteps through the neon darkened coridors
Of silent desperation, never speakin' to a soul
The poison air he's breathin' has the dirty smell of dyin'
'Cause it's never seen the sunshine and it's never felt the rain
But Casey minds the arrows and ignores the fatal echoes
Of the clickin' of the turnstile and the rattle of his chains
"Oh", she said "Casey it's been so long since I've seen you"
"Here" she said, "Just a kiss to make a body smile"
"See" she said, "I've put on new stockings just to please you"
"Lord" she said, "Casey can you only stay awhile"
Casey leaves the underground and stops inside the Golden Crown
For somethin' wet to wipe away the chill that's on his bones
See'ing his reflection in the lives of all the lonely men
Who reach for anything they can to keep from going home
Standing in the corner, Casey drinks his pint of bitter,
Never glancing in the mirror at the people passing by
Then he stumbles as he's leavin' and he wonders if the reason
Is the beer that's in his belly or the tear that's in his eye
"Oh" she said, "I suppose you seldom think about me"
"Now" she said, "Now that you've a family of your own"
"Still" she said, "It's so blessed good to feel your body"
"Lord" she said, "Casey, it's a shame to be alone"
"Oh" she said, "Casey, it's been so long since I've seen you"
"Here" she said "Just a kiss to make a body smile"
"See" she said, "I've put on new stockings just to please you"
"Lord" she said, "Casey, can you only stay a while"
"Lord" she said, "Casey it's a shame to be alone"
Lyrics submitted by ButNeverOutgunned
Casey's Last Ride Lyrics as written by Kris Kristofferson
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Funny. I didn't know Kris Kristofferson and John Denver's wife had much of a relationship.