"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 was locked all day in the summer heat
In a small brown house in suburban streets
With a skateboard and my shit guitar
I dreamed all day that they would get me far
My dad would ask me about my grades
The asshole sports that I never played
And then I'd ask about the girls he'd date
Behind our backs when mom had stayed up late
It was near when I turned sixteen
Got kicked out of school and so it seemed
Things were closing in and ready to blow
My dad moved out about that year or so
It took an hour to start a punk rock band
To upset my fucked up family land
And as I held my mum would start to cry
I swore ourselves, a better life
If I had a chance for another try
I wouldn't change a thing
This made me all on who I am inside
And if I could thank God
That I am here, and that I am alive
And everyday I wake
I tell myself a little harmless lie
The whole wide world is mine
The summers gone, the years have passed
My friends have changed, a few did last
The smallest dreams got pushed aside
The largest ones that changed my life
And all I wish for has come to pass
From rock and roll, to love and cash
It's all success if it's what you need
Do what you like and do it honestly
If I had a chance for another try
I wouldn't change a thing
This made me all on who I am inside
And if I could thank God
That I am here and that I am alive
And everyday I wake
I tell myself a little harmless lie
The whole wide world is mine
Hey oh oh oh
Hey oh oh
Hey oh oh oh
Hey oh oh
Hey oh oh oh
Hey oh oh
Hey oh oh oh
Hey oh oh
If I had a chance for another try
I wouldn't change a thing
This made me all on who I am inside
And if I could thank God
That I am here, and that I am alive
And everyday I wake
I tell myself a little harmless lie
The whole wide world is mine (the whole wide world is mine)
If I had a chance for another try
I wouldn't change a thing
This made me all on who I am inside (the whole wide world is mine)
And if I could thank God
That I am here, and that I am alive (the whole wide world is mine)
And everyday I wake
I tell myself a little harmless lie (the whole wide world is mine)
The whole wide world is mine
In a small brown house in suburban streets
With a skateboard and my shit guitar
I dreamed all day that they would get me far
My dad would ask me about my grades
The asshole sports that I never played
And then I'd ask about the girls he'd date
Behind our backs when mom had stayed up late
It was near when I turned sixteen
Got kicked out of school and so it seemed
Things were closing in and ready to blow
My dad moved out about that year or so
It took an hour to start a punk rock band
To upset my fucked up family land
And as I held my mum would start to cry
I swore ourselves, a better life
If I had a chance for another try
I wouldn't change a thing
This made me all on who I am inside
And if I could thank God
That I am here, and that I am alive
And everyday I wake
I tell myself a little harmless lie
The whole wide world is mine
The summers gone, the years have passed
My friends have changed, a few did last
The smallest dreams got pushed aside
The largest ones that changed my life
And all I wish for has come to pass
From rock and roll, to love and cash
It's all success if it's what you need
Do what you like and do it honestly
If I had a chance for another try
I wouldn't change a thing
This made me all on who I am inside
And if I could thank God
That I am here and that I am alive
And everyday I wake
I tell myself a little harmless lie
The whole wide world is mine
Hey oh oh oh
Hey oh oh
Hey oh oh oh
Hey oh oh
Hey oh oh oh
Hey oh oh
Hey oh oh oh
Hey oh oh
If I had a chance for another try
I wouldn't change a thing
This made me all on who I am inside
And if I could thank God
That I am here, and that I am alive
And everyday I wake
I tell myself a little harmless lie
The whole wide world is mine (the whole wide world is mine)
If I had a chance for another try
I wouldn't change a thing
This made me all on who I am inside (the whole wide world is mine)
And if I could thank God
That I am here, and that I am alive (the whole wide world is mine)
And everyday I wake
I tell myself a little harmless lie (the whole wide world is mine)
The whole wide world is mine
Lyrics submitted by himynameismark
Rite of Spring Lyrics as written by Thomas Delonge
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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I was locked all day in the summer heat, In a small brown house in suburban streets, The skateboard and my shit guitar, I dreamed all day that they would get me far, My dad would ask me about my grades, the asshole sports that I never played, And then I ask about the girls he'd date, Behind our backs when mom would stay up late,
It was then when I turned sixteen, got kicked out of school and so it seemed, that things were closing in and ready to blow, My dad moved out about that year or so, It took me hours to start a punk rock band to offset my fucked up family man, and as I helped my mom would start to cry, I swore ourselves a better life.
If I had a chance for another try, I wouldn't change a thing, This made me all and who I am inside, And if I could I'd thank God that I am here and that I am alive. And everyday I wake I tell myself another harmless lie, the whole wide world is mine.
The summer's gone, the years have passed my friends have changed, a few did last, the smallest dreams got pushed aside, the largest ones, they changed my life, And all I wished for has come to pass, From rock'n'roll to love and cash, Its all success if it what you need, do what you like and do it honestly.
If I had a chance for another try, I wouldn't change a thing, This made me all and who I am inside, And if I could I'd thank God that I am here and that I am alive. And everyday I wake I tell myself another harmless lie, the whole wide world is mine.
Yo oooh (whatever he says)
If I had a chance for another try, I wouldn't change a thing, This made me all and who I am inside, And if I could, I'd thank God that I am here and that I am alive. And everyday I wake I tell myself another harmless lie, the whole wide world is mine.