"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.
Wake me up, I've been dreaming
It feels just like any other, day
I sit you down, here goes nothing
And you're not gonna like what I say
And get out, oh, just get out
Get up, get out, that's what you said
You drive me crazy
I can't believe that's what you did
Don't call me baby
And I know I'm wrong, I knew all along that you'd find out
I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
Wake me up, I've been dreaming
'Cause I haven't heard from you in, days
Well hazy now, this fog just follows me around
And it's only you that burns it away
So get out, oh, just get out
Get up, get out, that's what you said
You drive me crazy
I can't believe that's what you did
Don't call me baby
I know I'm wrong, I knew all along that you'd find out
I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
I see your face every time I close my eyes
It's getting worse you say
It comes as no surprise
Why am I hell-bent on losing?
When I can't get you out of my head
Get up, get out, that's what you said
You drive me crazy
I can't believe that's what you did
Don't call me baby
I know I'm wrong, I knew all along that you'd find out
I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
Oh I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
Oh you'll make right now
It feels just like any other, day
I sit you down, here goes nothing
And you're not gonna like what I say
And get out, oh, just get out
Get up, get out, that's what you said
You drive me crazy
I can't believe that's what you did
Don't call me baby
And I know I'm wrong, I knew all along that you'd find out
I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
Wake me up, I've been dreaming
'Cause I haven't heard from you in, days
Well hazy now, this fog just follows me around
And it's only you that burns it away
So get out, oh, just get out
Get up, get out, that's what you said
You drive me crazy
I can't believe that's what you did
Don't call me baby
I know I'm wrong, I knew all along that you'd find out
I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
I see your face every time I close my eyes
It's getting worse you say
It comes as no surprise
Why am I hell-bent on losing?
When I can't get you out of my head
Get up, get out, that's what you said
You drive me crazy
I can't believe that's what you did
Don't call me baby
I know I'm wrong, I knew all along that you'd find out
I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
Oh I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
Oh you'll make right now
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it's definitely "I know I'm wrong" and "I'm the perfect mistake" and then a few other minor changes...song is included on the new CD Cycles :)
Wake me up, I've been dreaming It feels just like any other day I sit you down, here goes nothing And you're not gonna like what I say
Get out, oh just get out
"Get out, get out," that's what she said "You drive me crazy I can't believe that's what you did Don't call me baby" And I know I'm wrong I knew all along that you'd find out I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
Wake me up, I've been dreaming Cause I haven't heard from you in days Hazy now, this fog just follows me around And it's only you that burns it away
So get out, oh just get out
"Get out, get out," that's what she said "You drive me crazy I can't believe that's what you did Don't call me baby" And I know I'm wrong I knew all along that you'd find out I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
I see your face every time I close my eyes It's getting worse, you say it comes as no surprise
Why am I hell-bent on losing? When I can't get you out of my head
"Get out, get out," that's what she said "You drive me crazy I can't believe that's what you did Don't call me baby" And I know I'm wrong I knew all along that you'd find out I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now
Oh, I'm the perfect mistake I'm hoping you'll make right now Oh, you'll make right now
This song is about that one person you like sooo much and you wish they would just fall for you. You take the chance of telling them you like them and they reject you. You hope that that special someone will make the perfect mistake and fall for you.
I think it means that he was hiding something from a girl he's in a relationship with. He made a mistake and decided to tell her about it. Sounds sort of like he lied or cheated? He was hiding something from her at first, and then told her because he realized how much she means to him and is hoping that she can get over it. She isn't speaking to him and he really wants her back.
Will sings "I'M the perfect mistake" in the chorus. Big difference but all-around good post.
I'm hearing "I know I'm wrong, I knew all along" in the chorus. I don't know if that's correct but that's what I hear. Good work on the lyrics though.
there are a good amount of errors in these lyrics
To me, this song means that there is a guy and he knows that he's not good enough for her & he understands that, making him the "perfect mistake". She finally realized that she can do better & they've both been having a rocky relationship so he's saying he wants to fix it for her.
Yeaaah, definitely a lot of errors. Nonetheless, this is probably one of my favorite songs by them. It's pretty much this huge catharsis. I wonder if its based on one of Will's personal experiences. Anybody agree?