"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.
Was there ever,
A time when it seemed like things would never,
Never go back to the ways they were?
Well look on the bright side,
You’re not the only one.
And did there ever exist,
Something that you aimed for, but you missed?
A growing desire,
thrown in the fire.
Please look on the bright side,
You’re not the only one.
If anyone knows how you feel,
Put money on it being me.
And don’t you think that it’s so surreal? Both looking for each other’s sympathy.
Well let’s not give in
Toss the bitterness from within,
We’ll drop our guns because,
We’re not the only ones.
Came across a memory today,
Been so long since I felt that way.
I almost forgot what joy felt like.
Not unlike you.
Now fervently I pray,
Thankful I didn’t throw it all away.
I am here, you are here,
We are here, yeah we’re both here.
Let’s start over, right here, right now, today.
Guess that means there’s one thing left to say …
We’re not the only ones. (x2
A time when it seemed like things would never,
Never go back to the ways they were?
Well look on the bright side,
You’re not the only one.
And did there ever exist,
Something that you aimed for, but you missed?
A growing desire,
thrown in the fire.
Please look on the bright side,
You’re not the only one.
If anyone knows how you feel,
Put money on it being me.
And don’t you think that it’s so surreal? Both looking for each other’s sympathy.
Well let’s not give in
Toss the bitterness from within,
We’ll drop our guns because,
We’re not the only ones.
Came across a memory today,
Been so long since I felt that way.
I almost forgot what joy felt like.
Not unlike you.
Now fervently I pray,
Thankful I didn’t throw it all away.
I am here, you are here,
We are here, yeah we’re both here.
Let’s start over, right here, right now, today.
Guess that means there’s one thing left to say …
We’re not the only ones. (x2
Lyrics submitted by Chambers1990
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Fast Car
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