"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.
Pretty you are, enough to be in magazines,
but I know and you know you're worth more than that to me.
But my desire to kiss you has completely diminished,
due to the fact that your lips on lips just might be your foot on my throat,
holding back the hidden "I love you"'s in all the songs that I've ever wrote.
And these waves have come to suck you in and steal you away from me yet again.
To drown everything important to be sure you forgot about me...
To remain embraced by something stranger than me, warmer than me, better than me.
More suitable to best accommodate your needs.
And the moment he touches your face, caresses your body, just to feel
I will break at the knees,
And I will combust, I will, I will...
And these waves have come to suck you in, and steal you away from me yet again.
To drown everything important to be sure you forget about me.
So it won't hurt so bad to see you love again.
So it won't hurt so bad to watch as you forget about me...
but I know and you know you're worth more than that to me.
But my desire to kiss you has completely diminished,
due to the fact that your lips on lips just might be your foot on my throat,
holding back the hidden "I love you"'s in all the songs that I've ever wrote.
And these waves have come to suck you in and steal you away from me yet again.
To drown everything important to be sure you forgot about me...
To remain embraced by something stranger than me, warmer than me, better than me.
More suitable to best accommodate your needs.
And the moment he touches your face, caresses your body, just to feel
I will break at the knees,
And I will combust, I will, I will...
And these waves have come to suck you in, and steal you away from me yet again.
To drown everything important to be sure you forget about me.
So it won't hurt so bad to see you love again.
So it won't hurt so bad to watch as you forget about me...
Lyrics submitted by rain.on.my.parade
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Dusty Springfield
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"due to the fact that your, lips on my lips just might as well be your foot on my throat" these are the correct lyrics. beautiful song, and beautifulxgoodbye is right. it really hurts to listen to this song, because everyone can interpret this as their lost relationship.