"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.
With a donkey on my shoulder
And a jackal on my back
I'll carry these, my children
Keep them safe from attack
The donkey makes it hard to dance
The jackal sings too loud
The donkey cries when it's alone
And the jackal is too proud
Little donkey is getting restless
Getting heavier as it grows
And the jackal, spoiled and spiteful
Keeps biting at my nose
I would have a lover
A husband, and a child
But the donkey is too jealous
And the jackal is too wild
It's too wild
You ask me why I keep them
Why I love them so
Why they get away with murder
As they grow and grow and grow
I keep them 'cause I made them
They come from in my heart
With each mistake I make
Created, and torn apart
And when it's time to feed them
Before they go to bed
I give them my confessions
Baked within their bread
Little donkey is getting restless
Getting heavier as it grows
And the jackal, spoiled and spiteful
Keeps biting at my nose
Little donkey is getting restless
Getting heavier as it grows
And the jackal, spoiled and spiteful
Keeps biting at my nose
And a jackal on my back
I'll carry these, my children
Keep them safe from attack
The donkey makes it hard to dance
The jackal sings too loud
The donkey cries when it's alone
And the jackal is too proud
Little donkey is getting restless
Getting heavier as it grows
And the jackal, spoiled and spiteful
Keeps biting at my nose
I would have a lover
A husband, and a child
But the donkey is too jealous
And the jackal is too wild
It's too wild
You ask me why I keep them
Why I love them so
Why they get away with murder
As they grow and grow and grow
I keep them 'cause I made them
They come from in my heart
With each mistake I make
Created, and torn apart
And when it's time to feed them
Before they go to bed
I give them my confessions
Baked within their bread
Little donkey is getting restless
Getting heavier as it grows
And the jackal, spoiled and spiteful
Keeps biting at my nose
Little donkey is getting restless
Getting heavier as it grows
And the jackal, spoiled and spiteful
Keeps biting at my nose
Lyrics submitted by KatherineKissMe
Donkey Kosh [Demo] Lyrics as written by Tom Hull Matthew David Allchin
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Fast Car
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And here I am again taking the song completely literally. That she is carrying the arguing animals around with her and even though she can't do much else becasue of them she feels responsible for them.