"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.
Now it's time, to shake it all up to be free
Now it's time, to make us some room to let us be
Oh, it feels so bad
Yes it feels so bad
When everything good looks so bad
When everything right goes so wrong
I am up, to break it all down what's in my way
I won't stop, until I am where I'm going to stay
No one holds me back
No, no one holds me back
Don't want to be what I'm not
But it's gotta be myself who breaks my neck
I here and you look there, I know it's got to be somewhere
We look around and search around and walk around and hear around
We keep on looking 'til we know what for
If you don't know it, I don't know it, we don't know it, who will know it?
All of us don't know what we should know, maybe one day we'll know
But anyway we've got to make a stop
Over my head, look over my head you won't see no halo
It's driving me mad, I must hold it back inside
When the sinner searches sin, it's all of us
When we finally search inside, it's under us
We keep on looking anyway
If we don't find it who must pay?
All I've ever done I've done to you!
In my mind, the battle goes on 'til I give up
Will we find, the key of life we once have dropped?
Do you really care?
Tell me you really care!
You may find Mr. Blame
But the guilt of life burns everywhere
Give me light to see my inside, give me light to see my sin
I'd never do what I regret, I've never done anything bad
You must be joking when you point at me!
Hey! Don't you blame me! Don't you touch me!
Won't you ever leave me be?
I want to live! Don't want to think! Why should I give what I can drink?
Man! Life is short so I take what I need!
Over your head...
When the sinner...
Pain!
I feel inside it's such a
Shame!
No one fights fair, but who' to
Blame!
Might be the game of life but it ain't' over
Now!
I walk my way firm any
How!
My conscience speaks and there are
Doubts!
But nothing's sure in lifeand it ain't over
Now!
I look here...
Over my head...
When the sinner...
Now it's time, to make us some room to let us be
Oh, it feels so bad
Yes it feels so bad
When everything good looks so bad
When everything right goes so wrong
I am up, to break it all down what's in my way
I won't stop, until I am where I'm going to stay
No one holds me back
No, no one holds me back
Don't want to be what I'm not
But it's gotta be myself who breaks my neck
I here and you look there, I know it's got to be somewhere
We look around and search around and walk around and hear around
We keep on looking 'til we know what for
If you don't know it, I don't know it, we don't know it, who will know it?
All of us don't know what we should know, maybe one day we'll know
But anyway we've got to make a stop
Over my head, look over my head you won't see no halo
It's driving me mad, I must hold it back inside
When the sinner searches sin, it's all of us
When we finally search inside, it's under us
We keep on looking anyway
If we don't find it who must pay?
All I've ever done I've done to you!
In my mind, the battle goes on 'til I give up
Will we find, the key of life we once have dropped?
Do you really care?
Tell me you really care!
You may find Mr. Blame
But the guilt of life burns everywhere
Give me light to see my inside, give me light to see my sin
I'd never do what I regret, I've never done anything bad
You must be joking when you point at me!
Hey! Don't you blame me! Don't you touch me!
Won't you ever leave me be?
I want to live! Don't want to think! Why should I give what I can drink?
Man! Life is short so I take what I need!
Over your head...
When the sinner...
Pain!
I feel inside it's such a
Shame!
No one fights fair, but who' to
Blame!
Might be the game of life but it ain't' over
Now!
I walk my way firm any
How!
My conscience speaks and there are
Doubts!
But nothing's sure in lifeand it ain't over
Now!
I look here...
Over my head...
When the sinner...
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