"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 lied to me,
Say you were wrong,
Like you have too many times.
And I'll believe its not my fault
like I have too much time.
So, hear me now boy, stay alive
Cuz that's the way it should go
Would your maker have opened your eyes, if he preferred them closed?
To feel the weight of summers lost.
I'd love to have you near,
and all the times we ever crossed
It was just to keep you here.
To try to be something you were not, like I have for you and promised to,
I know well get through this and won't let you do it.
So Stop, and make believe that I'm not wrong.
Cuz if I was, we'd all be gone.
Just to feel the weight of summers lost
I'd love to have you here
and all the times we ever crossed
It's just to keep you here
Just to feel the pain of summers lost
I'd love to have you here
and all the times we ever crossed
It was just to keep you here
Nights without end seem to bleed into days. Try to forget that it turned out this way. I wear the mark of the permanent stain. Not accidentally, I cursed gods good name. I am still mortified, yet relieved in a way, that when my days are done we'll be in the same place.
With winters mean brimstone, I set sail for Euphrates, All I can say is its a god
DAMN SHAME!
That we'd feel the pain of summers loss.
I'd love to have new years,
And all the times I've missed my loss
It was just to keep you, just to keep you
Just to keep you here with me, yeah.
Say you were wrong,
Like you have too many times.
And I'll believe its not my fault
like I have too much time.
So, hear me now boy, stay alive
Cuz that's the way it should go
Would your maker have opened your eyes, if he preferred them closed?
To feel the weight of summers lost.
I'd love to have you near,
and all the times we ever crossed
It was just to keep you here.
To try to be something you were not, like I have for you and promised to,
I know well get through this and won't let you do it.
So Stop, and make believe that I'm not wrong.
Cuz if I was, we'd all be gone.
Just to feel the weight of summers lost
I'd love to have you here
and all the times we ever crossed
It's just to keep you here
Just to feel the pain of summers lost
I'd love to have you here
and all the times we ever crossed
It was just to keep you here
Nights without end seem to bleed into days. Try to forget that it turned out this way. I wear the mark of the permanent stain. Not accidentally, I cursed gods good name. I am still mortified, yet relieved in a way, that when my days are done we'll be in the same place.
With winters mean brimstone, I set sail for Euphrates, All I can say is its a god
DAMN SHAME!
That we'd feel the pain of summers loss.
I'd love to have new years,
And all the times I've missed my loss
It was just to keep you, just to keep you
Just to keep you here with me, yeah.
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I cant get it out of my head that he is making a reference to a lost loved. Almost like he got turned down by a girl and he wanted to commit suicide because he felt he was worthless. Or he is singing about a guy who cant get the words out of his mouth to this girl that he wants to date her. When he says every time we crossed or whatever is him saying he tried to say something to her but couldent. At the end she finally dated someone else and he feels lost.
I honestly don't think that is what this song is about. I can't see J being the kind of guy to write a song like this just cause some girl wouldn't date him. There is deeper meaning to this song, and I'm starting to agree with the idea that it's connected to House Carpenter.