"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.
Drop that look pretend you love me
Even I focus it above me
It's fun to be your enemy
It's fun to hunt you down
And now I've got you cornered on the sinner side of town
I want to help you out kid
If you want to help me
There's something that you just did
That ties you right up to me
That's why
I want
(every time I hear you say it)
to save you
(you can't save me)
That's why
(you can't save me)
I want
(every time I hear you say it)
to save you (kid)
(you can't save me)
(you can't)
The chase took us to where we're standing
An alleyway with stars of light landing
Don't stop, don't stop I said
Don't stop, it will kill me if you stop
But grab the ladder of the fire escape and we run up to the top
And we,
I want to touch you kid
If you want to touch me
There's something that you won't see
But there's nothing that I can't see
That's why
I want
(every time I hear you say it)
to save you
(you can't save me)
That's why
(you can't save me)
I want
(every time I hear you say it)
to save you
(you can't save me)
That's why
(you can't save me)
(you can't save me)
I want
(every time I hear you say it)
to save you
(you can't save me)
You
(You can't)
Even I focus it above me
It's fun to be your enemy
It's fun to hunt you down
And now I've got you cornered on the sinner side of town
I want to help you out kid
If you want to help me
There's something that you just did
That ties you right up to me
That's why
I want
(every time I hear you say it)
to save you
(you can't save me)
That's why
(you can't save me)
I want
(every time I hear you say it)
to save you (kid)
(you can't save me)
(you can't)
The chase took us to where we're standing
An alleyway with stars of light landing
Don't stop, don't stop I said
Don't stop, it will kill me if you stop
But grab the ladder of the fire escape and we run up to the top
And we,
I want to touch you kid
If you want to touch me
There's something that you won't see
But there's nothing that I can't see
That's why
I want
(every time I hear you say it)
to save you
(you can't save me)
That's why
(you can't save me)
I want
(every time I hear you say it)
to save you
(you can't save me)
That's why
(you can't save me)
(you can't save me)
I want
(every time I hear you say it)
to save you
(you can't save me)
You
(You can't)
Lyrics submitted by notlovely
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I'm pretty sure Amy Millan's vocals are saying "you can't save me" as opposed to agreeing with Torquil; it's more in the Stars style to have an antagonistic dialogue in their songs.
Corrected!