"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.
like going swimming out in a trash heap
you try your best not to swallow the water
you try your best to not go under
we sit unmoving, eyes on the swimmer king
for what it's worth, they're drowning all the same
life in the circus, outside the water tank
he hit his mark, they're drowning all the same
like reading books in a different language
you try your best not to lose any interest
you try your best to not go further
we sit unmoving, eyes on the swimmer king
for what it's worth, they're drowning all the same
life in the circus, outside the water tank
he hit his mark, but they're drowning all the same
come up now
with ears underwater, you only hear yourself
come up now
with ears underwater, you only hear yourself
we sit unmoving, eyes on the swimmer king
for what it's worth, they're drowning all the same
life in the circus, outside the water tank
he hit his mark, they're drowning all the same
you try your best not to swallow the water
you try your best to not go under
we sit unmoving, eyes on the swimmer king
for what it's worth, they're drowning all the same
life in the circus, outside the water tank
he hit his mark, they're drowning all the same
like reading books in a different language
you try your best not to lose any interest
you try your best to not go further
we sit unmoving, eyes on the swimmer king
for what it's worth, they're drowning all the same
life in the circus, outside the water tank
he hit his mark, but they're drowning all the same
come up now
with ears underwater, you only hear yourself
come up now
with ears underwater, you only hear yourself
we sit unmoving, eyes on the swimmer king
for what it's worth, they're drowning all the same
life in the circus, outside the water tank
he hit his mark, they're drowning all the same
Lyrics submitted by kerosene
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Fast Car
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Great version of a great song,
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