"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.
A nice breeze blows in
Whenever the big fella cracks a grin
And when the time and the place is right
We sit down, sip some bouillabaisse
Ah, you know I'm gonna have me a little fun
I got a candle, I can get a lot of reading done
Somewhere the sun is shining
On this world but not for me
Two lovers' hearts a-rising
Oh, how long before I'm free?
Ah, yes, I
Feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale
I get so lonely in the belly of the whale
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
Yeah, I feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
And I say now, if we swim faster
(We're sure to come back)
Ah, you didn't please everyone
Got thrown off the boat before the trip was done
So with a smile on your face
You disappeared without no trace
Ah, you know we're gonna have us a little fun
(While down here)
I got a candle, we can get a lot of reading done
Somewhere the sun is shining
On this world but not for me
Two lovers' hearts a-rising
Oh, how long before I'm free?
Ah, yes, I
Feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale
Gotta keep my head up now if I wanna come back
It gets so lonely in the belly of the whale
You wanna know you belong here but you've only got trapped
Hey!
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
Don't you feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale?
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
But I say now, if we swim faster
(We're sure to come back)
Somewhere the sun is shining
On this world but not for me
Two lovers' hearts a-rising
(Rising, rising, rising, rising)
Oh, how long before I'm free?
Ah, yes, I
I feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale
Gotta keep my head up now if I wanna come back
I get so lonely in the belly of the whale
You wanna know you belong here yet you've only got trapped
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
Yeah, it feels like Jonah in the belly of the whale
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
Did I tell you now? If we swim faster
(We're sure to come back)
Whenever the big fella cracks a grin
And when the time and the place is right
We sit down, sip some bouillabaisse
Ah, you know I'm gonna have me a little fun
I got a candle, I can get a lot of reading done
Somewhere the sun is shining
On this world but not for me
Two lovers' hearts a-rising
Oh, how long before I'm free?
Ah, yes, I
Feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale
I get so lonely in the belly of the whale
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
Yeah, I feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
And I say now, if we swim faster
(We're sure to come back)
Ah, you didn't please everyone
Got thrown off the boat before the trip was done
So with a smile on your face
You disappeared without no trace
Ah, you know we're gonna have us a little fun
(While down here)
I got a candle, we can get a lot of reading done
Somewhere the sun is shining
On this world but not for me
Two lovers' hearts a-rising
Oh, how long before I'm free?
Ah, yes, I
Feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale
Gotta keep my head up now if I wanna come back
It gets so lonely in the belly of the whale
You wanna know you belong here but you've only got trapped
Hey!
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
Don't you feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale?
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
But I say now, if we swim faster
(We're sure to come back)
Somewhere the sun is shining
On this world but not for me
Two lovers' hearts a-rising
(Rising, rising, rising, rising)
Oh, how long before I'm free?
Ah, yes, I
I feel like Jonah in the belly of the whale
Gotta keep my head up now if I wanna come back
I get so lonely in the belly of the whale
You wanna know you belong here yet you've only got trapped
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
Yeah, it feels like Jonah in the belly of the whale
(Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
Did I tell you now? If we swim faster
(We're sure to come back)
Lyrics submitted by hyness, edited by MCSMeister
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Fast Car
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