"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.
Spending time
Convinced that it's mine with her
Just to keep her out of mind
Still I'll take care to see
Which way the wind blows
Notice how her hair curls
Pay no mind to the clown
Who sits to your side
Content to yield despite pride
He is a fool to assume
You'd spare a thought
I'm a thief who's just been caught
And I don't find it funny anymore
And so I won't play the part
I played before
Oh, no, not to you
I don't see you laughing anyway
And so I won't play a part
In your mistake, no way
Not unless you stay
Convinced that it's mine with her
Just to keep her out of mind
Still I'll take care to see
Which way the wind blows
Notice how her hair curls
Pay no mind to the clown
Who sits to your side
Content to yield despite pride
He is a fool to assume
You'd spare a thought
I'm a thief who's just been caught
And I don't find it funny anymore
And so I won't play the part
I played before
Oh, no, not to you
I don't see you laughing anyway
And so I won't play a part
In your mistake, no way
Not unless you stay
Lyrics submitted by life_aint_chess, edited by minicuotas
Play the Part Lyrics as written by Jordana Shapiro Fabrizio Moretti
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I Think it's a man playing a father figure a baby girl whom he's not sure is his. "spending time convinced that it's mine" also "with her to keep her out of mind" he basically doesn't want to think about it so he'll "play the part" as a father, but taking care which way the wind blows" knowing that it may not be his. Then he says, "look the way her hair curls" meaning the daughter and him dont seem related. The following verse is about the clown. The image of a curly hair clown. Maybe the womens ex-boyfriend and the actual father. "he's a fool to assume you'd thought that I'm a thief that has just been caught" the singer is commenting on the irony of the "clowns" jealousy and assumption that the singer took the woman from him, when in fact the irony is that the clown and the woman share the child that the singer is taking care as his own. What he doesn't find funny anymore is either the clown or Maybe jokes about how his daughter doesnt look like him or looks like the other man. So he won't play the part, or be the father. And when the singer confronts her about the joke shes not laughing anyway. So then he says again I won't play the part in your mistake (cheating) unless you stay.
I know it's left field but it sounds close.