"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.
There's a heatwave steaming
Somebody screaming
This ain't no place to walk alone at night
She looks every inch a lady
Talk about gun crazy
Hey, don't point that thing at me!
Smile for the camera, do your striptease
The looks of an angel
She ain't no dime a dozen (She is the look)
You never did a thing that your mama said (No)
Your teacher cried and your daddy wants to know
Where he went wrong (So wrong)
(Sweat it out)
Hot Breath, warm me from the storm outside
Hot Breath, like a switchblade cutting
Through the air, the still night air
Hot Breath, turn my pain to pleasure
City hot and sleazy, take it slow and easy
Squeeze the trigger, pump me, right on time
Ease the gun down babe,
You know my safety's off
Move your sweat drenched body close to me
Smile for the camera, do your striptease
The looks of an angel
She ain't no dime a dozen (She is the look)
You never did a thing that your mama said (No)
Your teacher cried and your daddy wants to know
Where he went wrong (So wrong)
(Sweat it out)
Hot Breath, warm me from the storm outside
Hot Breath, like a switchblade cutting
Through the air, the still night air
Hot Breath, turn my pain to pleasure
Oh down there on the streets
I'm burning from the heat
Shooting hot lead, hear it call
Be there, catch me when I fall
Hot Breath...
Somebody screaming
This ain't no place to walk alone at night
She looks every inch a lady
Talk about gun crazy
Hey, don't point that thing at me!
Smile for the camera, do your striptease
The looks of an angel
She ain't no dime a dozen (She is the look)
You never did a thing that your mama said (No)
Your teacher cried and your daddy wants to know
Where he went wrong (So wrong)
(Sweat it out)
Hot Breath, warm me from the storm outside
Hot Breath, like a switchblade cutting
Through the air, the still night air
Hot Breath, turn my pain to pleasure
City hot and sleazy, take it slow and easy
Squeeze the trigger, pump me, right on time
Ease the gun down babe,
You know my safety's off
Move your sweat drenched body close to me
Smile for the camera, do your striptease
The looks of an angel
She ain't no dime a dozen (She is the look)
You never did a thing that your mama said (No)
Your teacher cried and your daddy wants to know
Where he went wrong (So wrong)
(Sweat it out)
Hot Breath, warm me from the storm outside
Hot Breath, like a switchblade cutting
Through the air, the still night air
Hot Breath, turn my pain to pleasure
Oh down there on the streets
I'm burning from the heat
Shooting hot lead, hear it call
Be there, catch me when I fall
Hot Breath...
Lyrics submitted by Grind838
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Fast Car
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