"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.
Good Lord, good Lord, send me an angel down
Can't spare you no angel, I'll send you a teasin' brown
That new way of loving, swear it must be the best
These Georgia women won't let Mr. McTell rest
There was a cry on the corner, went to see what it could be
Must be some women, tryin' to get the best of me
Went down to the sheriff, suitcase in my hand
All the women run cryin', saying, ""Mr. Mac, won't you be my man?""
My baby studyin' evil, and I'm studyin' evil too
Gonna hang round here to see what my baby gon' do
I can't be trusted, and I can't be satisfied
When the men see me comin', they go pin their womens to their side
Love my loving, like to get it any time of day
To get my right lovin', I'm going to south Georgia right away
I got three womens, yellow, brown and black
Take the governor of Georgia to judge which one I like
One woman's Atlanta yellow, the other is Macon brown
But the Statesboro blackskin will turn your damper1 down
So bye bye baby I'll see you some sweet day
And you'll be sorry you drove your man away
Can't spare you no angel, I'll send you a teasin' brown
That new way of loving, swear it must be the best
These Georgia women won't let Mr. McTell rest
There was a cry on the corner, went to see what it could be
Must be some women, tryin' to get the best of me
Went down to the sheriff, suitcase in my hand
All the women run cryin', saying, ""Mr. Mac, won't you be my man?""
My baby studyin' evil, and I'm studyin' evil too
Gonna hang round here to see what my baby gon' do
I can't be trusted, and I can't be satisfied
When the men see me comin', they go pin their womens to their side
Love my loving, like to get it any time of day
To get my right lovin', I'm going to south Georgia right away
I got three womens, yellow, brown and black
Take the governor of Georgia to judge which one I like
One woman's Atlanta yellow, the other is Macon brown
But the Statesboro blackskin will turn your damper1 down
So bye bye baby I'll see you some sweet day
And you'll be sorry you drove your man away
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Fast Car
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He is quickly becoming m favorate Delta style blues singer, his voice is so fresh compared to that of the others. The way he sings is amaingly good.