"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.
You have to have a party
When you're in a State like this
You can really move it all
You have to vote and change
You have to get right out of it
Like out of all this mess
You'll say yeah to anything
If you believe all this, but
Don't cry, don't do anything
No lies, back in the government
No tears, party time is here again
President gas is up for president
Line up, put your kisses down
Say yeah, say yes again
Stand up, there's a head count
President gas on everything but roller skates
It's sick the price of medicine
Stand up, we'll put you on your feet again
Open up your eyes
Just to check that your asleep again
President gas is president gas again
He comes in from the left sometimes
He comes in from the right
It's so heavily advertised that he wants you and I
It's a real cowboy set, the electric company
Every day is happy days
It's hell without the sin, but
Don't cry, don't do anything
No lies, back in the government
No tears, party time is here again
President gas is up for president
Line up, put your kisses down
Say yeah, say yes again
Stand up, there's a head count
President gas on everything but roller skates
It's sick the price of medicine
Stand up, we'll put you on your feet again
Open up your eyes just to check that your asleep again
President gas is president gas agayyyy-ain
Wo-oh-ohh-ohh-ohhh!
President Gas
Oh!
President Gas
Waaaar!
President Gas
Oh!
President Gas
Waaaar!
President Gasss
Oh!
President Gasss
Waaaar--arr-arr arr ohh!
President Gasss
Waaaar--arr-arr arr ohh!
When you're in a State like this
You can really move it all
You have to vote and change
You have to get right out of it
Like out of all this mess
You'll say yeah to anything
If you believe all this, but
Don't cry, don't do anything
No lies, back in the government
No tears, party time is here again
President gas is up for president
Line up, put your kisses down
Say yeah, say yes again
Stand up, there's a head count
President gas on everything but roller skates
It's sick the price of medicine
Stand up, we'll put you on your feet again
Open up your eyes
Just to check that your asleep again
President gas is president gas again
He comes in from the left sometimes
He comes in from the right
It's so heavily advertised that he wants you and I
It's a real cowboy set, the electric company
Every day is happy days
It's hell without the sin, but
Don't cry, don't do anything
No lies, back in the government
No tears, party time is here again
President gas is up for president
Line up, put your kisses down
Say yeah, say yes again
Stand up, there's a head count
President gas on everything but roller skates
It's sick the price of medicine
Stand up, we'll put you on your feet again
Open up your eyes just to check that your asleep again
President gas is president gas agayyyy-ain
Wo-oh-ohh-ohh-ohhh!
President Gas
Oh!
President Gas
Waaaar!
President Gas
Oh!
President Gas
Waaaar!
President Gasss
Oh!
President Gasss
Waaaar--arr-arr arr ohh!
President Gasss
Waaaar--arr-arr arr ohh!
Lyrics submitted by Major Valor, edited by CaptainBrexit
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Seems to me this song works on two levels. On the face of it, could be about politics, but could equally be about drugs.
'Say yeah to anything', 'on everything but roller skates', "it's sick; the price of medicine" etc.
The gas could be NO2.
@v00n President gas<br /> Oh oh oh oh ohhh
You have to have a party, when you're in a 'state' like this...<br /> <br /> etc.