"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.
Check, check one two, alright here goes nothin
If timings everything stop telling me you're taking your time
I know you're anxious but you're running your mouth like you're five
Years old again
It's so hard to pretend
Like I know everything
I don't know anything
I wanted you to see
That I got nothin
I'll sit back
And I'll watch the show
Yeah I'll watch the show
And I'll lay awake
And I'll watch the stars as they collide
In my eyes they don't see
And I don't breathe the way I used to
Yeah my lips whoa, they don't sing
And I won't be the way I was on that night
Steady breathing
Is all I can advise to a girl with a sweet tooth for revenge
I know I'm crazy but it's so hard to pretend
Like I know everything
I don't know anything
I wanted you to see
I'll sit back
And I'll watch the show
Yeah I'll watch the show
And I'll lay awake
And I'll watch the stars as they collide
In my eyes they don't see
And I don't breathe the way I used to
Yeah my lips whoa, they don't sing
And I won't be the way I was on that night
Was the night everybody agreed I was wrong about you
I told them you were being so strong
I knew you were a liar,
I knew you were a liar from the start
Was the night everybody agreed I was wrong about you
I told them you were being so strong
I knew you were a liar,
I knew you were a liar from the start
Don't treat me like I'm playing a game
'Cause baby I don't want to lose,
Baby I don't want to risk it all for you
In my eyes they don't see
And I don't breathe the way I used to
Yeah my lips whoa, they don't sing
And I won't be the way I was on that night
If timings everything stop telling me you're taking your time
I know you're anxious but you're running your mouth like you're five
Years old again
It's so hard to pretend
Like I know everything
I don't know anything
I wanted you to see
That I got nothin
I'll sit back
And I'll watch the show
Yeah I'll watch the show
And I'll lay awake
And I'll watch the stars as they collide
In my eyes they don't see
And I don't breathe the way I used to
Yeah my lips whoa, they don't sing
And I won't be the way I was on that night
Steady breathing
Is all I can advise to a girl with a sweet tooth for revenge
I know I'm crazy but it's so hard to pretend
Like I know everything
I don't know anything
I wanted you to see
I'll sit back
And I'll watch the show
Yeah I'll watch the show
And I'll lay awake
And I'll watch the stars as they collide
In my eyes they don't see
And I don't breathe the way I used to
Yeah my lips whoa, they don't sing
And I won't be the way I was on that night
Was the night everybody agreed I was wrong about you
I told them you were being so strong
I knew you were a liar,
I knew you were a liar from the start
Was the night everybody agreed I was wrong about you
I told them you were being so strong
I knew you were a liar,
I knew you were a liar from the start
Don't treat me like I'm playing a game
'Cause baby I don't want to lose,
Baby I don't want to risk it all for you
In my eyes they don't see
And I don't breathe the way I used to
Yeah my lips whoa, they don't sing
And I won't be the way I was on that night
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"Yeah, my eyes they don't see. And I don't breathe the way I used to. Yeah, my lips, whoa, they don't sing. I won't be the way I was on that night"
That's what I thought it wasss.... but I don't know