"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.
Going back to the corner where I first saw you
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag, I'm not gonna move
Got some words on cardboard, got your picture in my hand
Saying, "If you see this girl, can you tell her where I am?"
Some try to hand me money, they don't understand
I'm not broke, I'm just a broken hearted man
I know it makes no sense but what else can I do
How can I move on when I'm still in love with you
'Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me
And your heart starts to wonder where on this Earth I could be
Thinkin' maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet
And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
So I'm not moving, I'm not moving
Policeman says, "Son, you can't stay here"
I said, "There's someone I'm waiting for if it's a day, a month, a year"
Gotta stand my ground even if it rains or snows
If she changes her mind, this is the first place she will go
'Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me
And your heart starts to wonder where on this Earth I could be
Thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet
And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
So I'm not moving, I'm not moving
I'm not moving, I'm not moving
People talk about the guy that's waiting on a girl
There are no holes in his shoes but a big hole in his world
Maybe I'll get famous as the man who can't be moved
Maybe you won't mean to, but you'll see me on the news
And you'll come running to the corner
'Cause you'll know it's just for you
I'm the man who can't be moved
I'm the man who can't be moved
'Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me (find that you're missing me)
And your heart starts to wonder where on this Earth I could be (where on this Earth I could be)
Thinkin' maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet (to the place that we'd meet)
And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
(So I'm not moving) 'cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me
(I'm not moving) and your heart starts to wonder where on this Earth I could be
(I'm not moving) thinkin' maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet
(I'm not moving) and you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
Going back to the corner where I first saw you
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag, I'm not gonna move
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag, I'm not gonna move
Got some words on cardboard, got your picture in my hand
Saying, "If you see this girl, can you tell her where I am?"
Some try to hand me money, they don't understand
I'm not broke, I'm just a broken hearted man
I know it makes no sense but what else can I do
How can I move on when I'm still in love with you
'Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me
And your heart starts to wonder where on this Earth I could be
Thinkin' maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet
And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
So I'm not moving, I'm not moving
Policeman says, "Son, you can't stay here"
I said, "There's someone I'm waiting for if it's a day, a month, a year"
Gotta stand my ground even if it rains or snows
If she changes her mind, this is the first place she will go
'Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me
And your heart starts to wonder where on this Earth I could be
Thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet
And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
So I'm not moving, I'm not moving
I'm not moving, I'm not moving
People talk about the guy that's waiting on a girl
There are no holes in his shoes but a big hole in his world
Maybe I'll get famous as the man who can't be moved
Maybe you won't mean to, but you'll see me on the news
And you'll come running to the corner
'Cause you'll know it's just for you
I'm the man who can't be moved
I'm the man who can't be moved
'Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me (find that you're missing me)
And your heart starts to wonder where on this Earth I could be (where on this Earth I could be)
Thinkin' maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet (to the place that we'd meet)
And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
(So I'm not moving) 'cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me
(I'm not moving) and your heart starts to wonder where on this Earth I could be
(I'm not moving) thinkin' maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet
(I'm not moving) and you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
Going back to the corner where I first saw you
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag, I'm not gonna move
Lyrics submitted by vintagesparkles
The Man Who Can't Be Moved Lyrics as written by Daniel John O'donoghue Andrew Marcus Frampton
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I can only amplify what almost everybody has said above!
This means so much to me, it was released at around the same time I was feeling like in the same position, we'd already seen them perform live at an open-top castle (which, by some coincidence isn't very far from "the place where we'd meet")
His love for her is so strong that he'll be waiting, if she ever turns round and suddenly thinks she misses him or maybe that she's made the mistake of ending things, he'll still be in love with her.