"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.
Race d'Abel, dors, bois et mange;
Dieu te sourit complaisamment.
Race de Caïn, dans la fange
Rampe et meurs misérablement.
Race d'Abel, ton sacrifice
Flatte le nez du Séraphin!
Race de Caïn, ton supplice
Aura-t-il jamais une fin?
Race d'Abel, vois tes semailles
Et ton bétail venir à bien;
Race de Caïn, tes entrailles
Hurlent la faim comme un vieux chien.
Race d'Abel, chauffe ton ventre
À ton foyer patriarcal;
Race de Caïn, dans ton antre
Tremble de froid, pauvre chacal!
Race d'Abel, tu croîs et broutes
Comme les punaises des bois!
Race de Caïn, sur les routes
Traîne ta famille aux abois.
Ah! race d'Abel, ta charogne
Engraissera le sol fumant!
Race de Caïn, ta besogne
N'est pas faite suffisamment;
Race d'Abel, voici ta honte:
Le fer est vaincu par l'épieu!
Race de Caïn, au ciel monte,
Et sur la terre jette Dieu!
Dieu te sourit complaisamment.
Race de Caïn, dans la fange
Rampe et meurs misérablement.
Race d'Abel, ton sacrifice
Flatte le nez du Séraphin!
Race de Caïn, ton supplice
Aura-t-il jamais une fin?
Race d'Abel, vois tes semailles
Et ton bétail venir à bien;
Race de Caïn, tes entrailles
Hurlent la faim comme un vieux chien.
Race d'Abel, chauffe ton ventre
À ton foyer patriarcal;
Race de Caïn, dans ton antre
Tremble de froid, pauvre chacal!
Race d'Abel, tu croîs et broutes
Comme les punaises des bois!
Race de Caïn, sur les routes
Traîne ta famille aux abois.
Ah! race d'Abel, ta charogne
Engraissera le sol fumant!
Race de Caïn, ta besogne
N'est pas faite suffisamment;
Race d'Abel, voici ta honte:
Le fer est vaincu par l'épieu!
Race de Caïn, au ciel monte,
Et sur la terre jette Dieu!
Lyrics submitted by Daniel wolf
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Translation:
Race of Abel, sleep and feed God is pleased;
Grovel in the dirt and die, Race of Cain.
Race of Abel, your sacrifice Flatters the nostrils of the Seraphim;
Race of Cain, is your punishment Never to know an end?
Race of Abel, your fields prosper Your cattle grow fat;
Race of Cain, your belly clamors Like a famished dog.
Race of Abel, warm yourself At the hearth of your fathers;
Shiver in the jackal's den, Race of Cain.
Race of Abel, increase and multiply, Even your gold will breed;
Though your heart burns, Race of Cain, Beware great appetites.
Race of Abel, build your cities Even as the ants;
Race of Cain, your children beg For bread beside the road.
Race of Abel, your corpse Will fatten the reeking earth;
Your labor, Race of Cain, Is not yet done.
Race of Abel, behold your shame: The sword yields to the butcher-knife!
Rise up, Race of Cain, And cast God down upon the earth!