"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.
Uh
I forgot to call you on your birthday
You swear you're the last thing on my mind, yeah
There is nothing I can do to fix it
All you ever asked me for was time, whoa
When the lights don't glow the same way that they used to
And I finally get a moment to myself
I will realize you were everything I'm missin'
And you'll tell me you're in love with someone else
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever, and I realized I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You just changed your hair and it looks perfect
Wish I was the first to let you know
Every chance I get to make it better
I just find a way to let it go, whoa
When the lights don't glow the same way that they used to
And I finally get a moment to myself
I will realize you were everything I'm missin'
And you'll tell me you're in love with someone else
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever and I realized I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
The girl or the world?
You say someone gotta lose
I thought I could have it all
Do I really gotta choose?
What good is all the cash
If it doesn't buy time?
And what good is bein' famous
If I'm never on your mind?
Nights fallen, lights glowin'
And I'm just tryna pay the price owin'
And I don't wanna feel the comfort from my ice showin'
And I ain't tryna be without you at the right moments
Nigga, nice goin', is it worth it? That decision
'Cause hearts break and I ain't tryna be in that collision
So I'ma dust my shirt and fix my pants
'Cause I better look good, girl, if this my chance, I swear, uh
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever and I realize I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
I forgot to call you on your birthday
You swear you're the last thing on my mind, yeah
There is nothing I can do to fix it
All you ever asked me for was time, whoa
When the lights don't glow the same way that they used to
And I finally get a moment to myself
I will realize you were everything I'm missin'
And you'll tell me you're in love with someone else
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever, and I realized I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You just changed your hair and it looks perfect
Wish I was the first to let you know
Every chance I get to make it better
I just find a way to let it go, whoa
When the lights don't glow the same way that they used to
And I finally get a moment to myself
I will realize you were everything I'm missin'
And you'll tell me you're in love with someone else
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever and I realized I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
The girl or the world?
You say someone gotta lose
I thought I could have it all
Do I really gotta choose?
What good is all the cash
If it doesn't buy time?
And what good is bein' famous
If I'm never on your mind?
Nights fallen, lights glowin'
And I'm just tryna pay the price owin'
And I don't wanna feel the comfort from my ice showin'
And I ain't tryna be without you at the right moments
Nigga, nice goin', is it worth it? That decision
'Cause hearts break and I ain't tryna be in that collision
So I'ma dust my shirt and fix my pants
'Cause I better look good, girl, if this my chance, I swear, uh
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever and I realize I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
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:( reminds me of my man