"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.
All the blips of the sinking ships are all sinking in to your skin
and i'm getting older as my hair goes white
and i can not light up the dark.
and all the violent waves
the violent waves.
i haven't left the house in 100 years
and you haven't left yours in 100 hours
and we can't keep our hands out of our own mouths
see the horrible habits we acquire.
and all the rawest thumbs
from gnawing on them and rowing hard
you're a nervous wreck
i'm a nervous wreck
you're a nervous wreck.
and how my stomach burns but only at night
when the moon is bright
and i have dreams about bears with the reddest mouths
but your arms are warm and your legs are wrapped around.
and the sound of your heart
the unsteady sound
i will slow it down.
and i'm getting older as my hair goes white
and i can not light up the dark.
and all the violent waves
the violent waves.
i haven't left the house in 100 years
and you haven't left yours in 100 hours
and we can't keep our hands out of our own mouths
see the horrible habits we acquire.
and all the rawest thumbs
from gnawing on them and rowing hard
you're a nervous wreck
i'm a nervous wreck
you're a nervous wreck.
and how my stomach burns but only at night
when the moon is bright
and i have dreams about bears with the reddest mouths
but your arms are warm and your legs are wrapped around.
and the sound of your heart
the unsteady sound
i will slow it down.
Lyrics submitted by morningbrightblue
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