"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've been told to remember
Keep your lemur eyes wide
Someday you'll make a life of this
So carry on, carry on
But i've become so offenseless
Despite these weapons i bear
Have we toned up our finest
Or did we take this
Too Far down
The road you know i'm scared to go down
I'm waking up anxious to lay back down
'Cause all i can do here is wait
Just wait, i'll hurry up and wait
Well i can't read her expression
'Cause man this vixen she's sly
As she keeps me suspended
I've lost all control of this flight
Hiiii yeaaahhh yeaaahhh
We've ravaged our chances to shine
Would you take what i'm giving to you or did i take this
Did we take this
Too far down
The road you know i'm scared to go down
I'm waking up anxious to lay back down
'Cause all i can do here is wait, just you wait
So have it your way
I know you'll be watching with gallant eyes
As we shake the wreckage
And break from these hauntingly silent niiiiiights
Break from these silent nights
Will this take forever?
We might have a shot if we'd stray
But what's another day
Of hurry up and wait
Hurry up and wait
Hurry up and waaaaait
It's all that you can do now
Keep your lemur eyes wide
Someday you'll make a life of this
So carry on, carry on
But i've become so offenseless
Despite these weapons i bear
Have we toned up our finest
Or did we take this
Too Far down
The road you know i'm scared to go down
I'm waking up anxious to lay back down
'Cause all i can do here is wait
Just wait, i'll hurry up and wait
Well i can't read her expression
'Cause man this vixen she's sly
As she keeps me suspended
I've lost all control of this flight
Hiiii yeaaahhh yeaaahhh
We've ravaged our chances to shine
Would you take what i'm giving to you or did i take this
Did we take this
Too far down
The road you know i'm scared to go down
I'm waking up anxious to lay back down
'Cause all i can do here is wait, just you wait
So have it your way
I know you'll be watching with gallant eyes
As we shake the wreckage
And break from these hauntingly silent niiiiiights
Break from these silent nights
Will this take forever?
We might have a shot if we'd stray
But what's another day
Of hurry up and wait
Hurry up and wait
Hurry up and waaaaait
It's all that you can do now
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Dusty Springfield
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Ed Sheeran
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I love this song, I'm not quite sure what it means, but my favourite part of the song is when he sings 'I'm waking up anxious to lay back down', it's sung with so much emotion.