"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.
I went down to the gas station
for no particular reason
Heard the screams from the high school
It's football season
Empty lot the station faces
Will probably be there forever
I climbed over the four foot fence
I was trying to sever the tether
Moon in the sky
Cold as a stone
Spend each night in your arms
Always wake up alone
I lay down in the weeds
It was a real cold night
I was happy 'til the overnight attendant
Switched on the floodlight
Walking home I was talking to you under my breath
Saying things I would never say directly
I heard a siren on the highway up ahead
Kinda wished they'd come and get me
Frost on the sidewalk
White as a bone
Tried to get close to you again
Always wake up alone
And as I was crossing our doorstep
I hesitated just a moment there
Remembered the day we moved in to our small house
'til the vision got too vivid to bear
You were almost asleep
Halfway undressed
I lay right down next to you
held your head against my chest
And a guy with any kind of courage
would maybe stop to think the matter through
Maybe hold you still and raise the question
Instead of blindly holding onto you
But we crank up the heat
And you giggle and moan
Spend all night in the company of ghosts
Aways wake up alone
for no particular reason
Heard the screams from the high school
It's football season
Empty lot the station faces
Will probably be there forever
I climbed over the four foot fence
I was trying to sever the tether
Moon in the sky
Cold as a stone
Spend each night in your arms
Always wake up alone
I lay down in the weeds
It was a real cold night
I was happy 'til the overnight attendant
Switched on the floodlight
Walking home I was talking to you under my breath
Saying things I would never say directly
I heard a siren on the highway up ahead
Kinda wished they'd come and get me
Frost on the sidewalk
White as a bone
Tried to get close to you again
Always wake up alone
And as I was crossing our doorstep
I hesitated just a moment there
Remembered the day we moved in to our small house
'til the vision got too vivid to bear
You were almost asleep
Halfway undressed
I lay right down next to you
held your head against my chest
And a guy with any kind of courage
would maybe stop to think the matter through
Maybe hold you still and raise the question
Instead of blindly holding onto you
But we crank up the heat
And you giggle and moan
Spend all night in the company of ghosts
Aways wake up alone
Lyrics submitted by mdon06
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