"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.
1- Listen
2- Remember
3- Repeat
4- Till the day you die
You've got to know all the ways of the world
How to eat, where to sleep, complete your education
Respect the ones demanding your attention
Arrive on time, walk in line, shut your mouth
Mystify inspiration and learn to know what's a stupid question
Remember to listen to what you've been told
Now difficult decisions you're beginning to avoid
Release your nature
This is what it feels like
This is what it feels like when you just let go
What does it mean to survive?
Test animals just try to find their way out
Don't act like you were born
To make a living
1- Listen
2- Remember
3- Repeat
Repeat
So you're spending all this time in order to find
All the important things that now are shaping your life
So you can sit back, spending your days
Gaining weight, staying awake watching the prime time premiere
One by one you forget what you?ve done
But some mother theresa won't allow you to die
Your mind says goodbye, you're body's still alive so tell me why
Was it all worth the fight?
Release your nature
This is what it feels like
This is what it feels like when you just let go
What does it mean to survive?
Test animals just try to find their way out
Don't act like you were born
To make a living
What does it take to survive?
Test animals will never find their way out
Some things can't be taught
2- Remember
3- Repeat
4- Till the day you die
You've got to know all the ways of the world
How to eat, where to sleep, complete your education
Respect the ones demanding your attention
Arrive on time, walk in line, shut your mouth
Mystify inspiration and learn to know what's a stupid question
Remember to listen to what you've been told
Now difficult decisions you're beginning to avoid
Release your nature
This is what it feels like
This is what it feels like when you just let go
What does it mean to survive?
Test animals just try to find their way out
Don't act like you were born
To make a living
1- Listen
2- Remember
3- Repeat
Repeat
So you're spending all this time in order to find
All the important things that now are shaping your life
So you can sit back, spending your days
Gaining weight, staying awake watching the prime time premiere
One by one you forget what you?ve done
But some mother theresa won't allow you to die
Your mind says goodbye, you're body's still alive so tell me why
Was it all worth the fight?
Release your nature
This is what it feels like
This is what it feels like when you just let go
What does it mean to survive?
Test animals just try to find their way out
Don't act like you were born
To make a living
What does it take to survive?
Test animals will never find their way out
Some things can't be taught
Lyrics submitted by SophieSomething
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