"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.
He says I keep the faith in the only thing
It gives me grief it gives me pain
It's heaven and hell in one
He believes the best has come and gone
He hides it in a special place
His lover his life mate
He says I do the best to keep you in my arms
My money you're the only one
Down in the corner he sits on his hands
Laughs in glee and delight at his plans
To beg steal and borrow every penny that he can
Fuck his dear mother if it gained him a grand
He's a well-respected man of means
With a touch of slime in between
His lips as words he weaves
This wide-eyed fool already believes
Down in the corner he sits on his hands
Laughs in glee does a happy little dance
It gives me grief it gives me pain
It's heaven and hell in one
He believes the best has come and gone
He hides it in a special place
His lover his life mate
He says I do the best to keep you in my arms
My money you're the only one
Down in the corner he sits on his hands
Laughs in glee and delight at his plans
To beg steal and borrow every penny that he can
Fuck his dear mother if it gained him a grand
He's a well-respected man of means
With a touch of slime in between
His lips as words he weaves
This wide-eyed fool already believes
Down in the corner he sits on his hands
Laughs in glee does a happy little dance
Lyrics submitted by Emong
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