"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.
I'm walkin' down the boulevard
Girls glancin' from their yards
They see me and start to scream
Flowin' down the street like a stream
Pick up the pace, start to run
now here's where begins the fun
Catch me if you can
And when you figure out where I am
I'll be somewhere else and
you'll be chasing me again
Catch me if you can
But I'm never gonna understand
Why you keep chasing me over
and over again...Catch me if you can
The hand is quicker than the eye
Well my foot thinks that's a lie
I'm faster than a roadrunner bird
no matter how much you've heard
Come on girls, don't make me laugh
Can't you do the math?
Catch me if you can
And when you figure out where I am
I'll be somewhere else and
you'll be chasing me again
Catch me if you can
But i'm never gonna understand
Why you keep chasing me over
and over again...Catch me if you can
Run, run, run as fast as you can
You can't catch me I'm the rockin' man
Run, run, run as fast you can
Come on baby catch me if you can
I'm walkin' down the boulevard
Girls glancin' from their yard
They see me and start to scream
Flowin' down the street like a stream
Pick up the pacce, start to run
Now here's where begins the fun
Catch me if you can
And when you figure out where I am
I'll be somewhere else and
you'll be chasing me again
Catch me if you can
But I'm never gonna understand
Why you keep chasing me over
and over again...Catch me if you can
Girls glancin' from their yards
They see me and start to scream
Flowin' down the street like a stream
Pick up the pace, start to run
now here's where begins the fun
Catch me if you can
And when you figure out where I am
I'll be somewhere else and
you'll be chasing me again
Catch me if you can
But I'm never gonna understand
Why you keep chasing me over
and over again...Catch me if you can
The hand is quicker than the eye
Well my foot thinks that's a lie
I'm faster than a roadrunner bird
no matter how much you've heard
Come on girls, don't make me laugh
Can't you do the math?
Catch me if you can
And when you figure out where I am
I'll be somewhere else and
you'll be chasing me again
Catch me if you can
But i'm never gonna understand
Why you keep chasing me over
and over again...Catch me if you can
Run, run, run as fast as you can
You can't catch me I'm the rockin' man
Run, run, run as fast you can
Come on baby catch me if you can
I'm walkin' down the boulevard
Girls glancin' from their yard
They see me and start to scream
Flowin' down the street like a stream
Pick up the pacce, start to run
Now here's where begins the fun
Catch me if you can
And when you figure out where I am
I'll be somewhere else and
you'll be chasing me again
Catch me if you can
But I'm never gonna understand
Why you keep chasing me over
and over again...Catch me if you can
Lyrics submitted by wohschic08
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Fast Car
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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it's obvious that this song 1)rocks! 2)is about him learning to be famous, and he's LOVING IT