"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 feel sorrow for the fear
And everything it brings
Wonder if it will ever sleep
I know you understand
'Cause you briefly look away
Focusing on nothing so now everything is clear
'Cause there's no one to blame
You got no place to hide
It's only in your mind
And I saw you in amazement stumbling through the day
You told me time never waits
What is that supposed to mean?
All of life is in one drop of the ocean waiting to go home
Just waiting to go home
And if the moon can turn the tides
It can pull the tears and take 'em from our eyes
And make 'em into monsoons
And turn 'em into monsoon-er or later they'll weep their way back to the sea
Gonna finally be free
Ye, free for a while
Until they break like waves of sorrow always do
All in due time
'Cause time never waits
Daddy don't daydream again
Just help me to believe and then
Show me that there's more than the mean time
Sonny do you hear the sound?
You will feel it when it breaks
You will know it when it's gone
How else can I explain?
'Cause it's only the pain
Coming straight through
Coming to remind
Cross cut to you in amazement stumbling through the day
You tell me time never waits
That's okay 'cause I don't wait for time
When all of life is in one drop of the ocean waiting to go home
Just waiting to go home
And if the moon can turn the tides
It can pull the tears and take 'em from our eyes
And turn 'em into monsoons
And make 'em into monsoon-er or later they'll weep their way back to the sea
Gonna finally be free
Free for a while
Until they break
Like waves of sorrow always break
All in due time
'Cause time never waits
And everything it brings
Wonder if it will ever sleep
I know you understand
'Cause you briefly look away
Focusing on nothing so now everything is clear
'Cause there's no one to blame
You got no place to hide
It's only in your mind
And I saw you in amazement stumbling through the day
You told me time never waits
What is that supposed to mean?
All of life is in one drop of the ocean waiting to go home
Just waiting to go home
And if the moon can turn the tides
It can pull the tears and take 'em from our eyes
And make 'em into monsoons
And turn 'em into monsoon-er or later they'll weep their way back to the sea
Gonna finally be free
Ye, free for a while
Until they break like waves of sorrow always do
All in due time
'Cause time never waits
Daddy don't daydream again
Just help me to believe and then
Show me that there's more than the mean time
Sonny do you hear the sound?
You will feel it when it breaks
You will know it when it's gone
How else can I explain?
'Cause it's only the pain
Coming straight through
Coming to remind
Cross cut to you in amazement stumbling through the day
You tell me time never waits
That's okay 'cause I don't wait for time
When all of life is in one drop of the ocean waiting to go home
Just waiting to go home
And if the moon can turn the tides
It can pull the tears and take 'em from our eyes
And turn 'em into monsoons
And make 'em into monsoon-er or later they'll weep their way back to the sea
Gonna finally be free
Free for a while
Until they break
Like waves of sorrow always break
All in due time
'Cause time never waits
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I agree with nrugg33, I just love the part "And make 'em into monsoons And turn 'em into monsoon-er or later they'll weep their way back to the sea"
This song is just screaming "Don't let life bring you down, you have to move forward."