"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.
Getting strain 'fore it start to head that round
Cause it's always washed when it comes to you
I kept my mouth shut for twenty miles
Then it was all I had to do was shut my eyes
Well, I can almost see the credits
And the lightsman and the page
As you figure out your line
You make everybody listen
To the spotlights and the serves
But the camera shows your age
You're livin' life like you like to see it written down
But what makes age let an evening down
Exploring new sound, no mapper pen
Stay and use it up all you can
I can almost see the credits
And the camera and the page
As you figure out your line
You make everybody listen
To the spotlights and the serves
But the camera shows your age
You've had it all
But you dim, dim
You've had it all
But you can't dim, dim
I can almost see the credits
And the camera and the page
As you figure out your line
Cause it's always washed when it comes to you
I kept my mouth shut for twenty miles
Then it was all I had to do was shut my eyes
Well, I can almost see the credits
And the lightsman and the page
As you figure out your line
You make everybody listen
To the spotlights and the serves
But the camera shows your age
You're livin' life like you like to see it written down
But what makes age let an evening down
Exploring new sound, no mapper pen
Stay and use it up all you can
I can almost see the credits
And the camera and the page
As you figure out your line
You make everybody listen
To the spotlights and the serves
But the camera shows your age
You've had it all
But you dim, dim
You've had it all
But you can't dim, dim
I can almost see the credits
And the camera and the page
As you figure out your line
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Fast Car
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