"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.
Let the rain fall down, let it fall to the ground,
Let the rain fall down to the ground.
And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound,
When you're six feet underground.
Well they cast me out when the word spread around
That I never sang in the church.
And it took one night for the town to decide
I'm afflicted by the curse.
And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground.
And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound.
So I look to the sky, tell me why, tell me why,
Do they all get to live, and I have to die?
So they marched me down to the center of town,
With their pitchforks high in the air.
I was chained and bound with a blindfold around
So the judge wouldn't catch my stare.
And they hung my soul from the gallows pole
But the witch they never found.
So to those who don't fit society's mold,
Learn to swim or you will drown.
And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground.
And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound.
So I look to the sky, tell me why, tell me why,
Do they all get to live, and I have to die?
And the angels sing "let it shine, let it shine"
Dry the teardrops from my eyes.
And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind,
'Cause the dead can't testify.
And because I can't take an eye for an eye,
In the afterlife I'll haunt you 'till you die!
And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground
(Let teardrops hit the ground!)
And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound
(When you're six feet underground!)
So I look to the sky, tell me why, tell me why,
Do they all get to live, and I have to die?
And the angels sing "let it shine, let it shine"
Dry the teardrops from my eyes.
And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind,
'Cause the dead can't testify.
And because I can't take an eye for an eye,
In the afterlife I'll haunt you 'till you die!
And the angels sing "let it shine, let it shine"
Dry the teardrops from my eyes.
And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind,
'Cause the dead can't testify.
And because I can't take an eye for an eye,
In the afterlife I'll haunt you 'till you die!
Let the rain fall down to the ground.
And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound,
When you're six feet underground.
Well they cast me out when the word spread around
That I never sang in the church.
And it took one night for the town to decide
I'm afflicted by the curse.
And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground.
And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound.
So I look to the sky, tell me why, tell me why,
Do they all get to live, and I have to die?
So they marched me down to the center of town,
With their pitchforks high in the air.
I was chained and bound with a blindfold around
So the judge wouldn't catch my stare.
And they hung my soul from the gallows pole
But the witch they never found.
So to those who don't fit society's mold,
Learn to swim or you will drown.
And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground.
And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound.
So I look to the sky, tell me why, tell me why,
Do they all get to live, and I have to die?
And the angels sing "let it shine, let it shine"
Dry the teardrops from my eyes.
And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind,
'Cause the dead can't testify.
And because I can't take an eye for an eye,
In the afterlife I'll haunt you 'till you die!
And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground
(Let teardrops hit the ground!)
And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound
(When you're six feet underground!)
So I look to the sky, tell me why, tell me why,
Do they all get to live, and I have to die?
And the angels sing "let it shine, let it shine"
Dry the teardrops from my eyes.
And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind,
'Cause the dead can't testify.
And because I can't take an eye for an eye,
In the afterlife I'll haunt you 'till you die!
And the angels sing "let it shine, let it shine"
Dry the teardrops from my eyes.
And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind,
'Cause the dead can't testify.
And because I can't take an eye for an eye,
In the afterlife I'll haunt you 'till you die!
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Correct lyrics:
Let the rain fall down, let it fall to the ground Let the rain fall down to the ground And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound When you're six feet underground
Well they cast me out when the word spread around That I never sang in the church And it took one night for the town to decide I'm afflicted by the curse
And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound So I looked to the sky, Tell me why, tell me why, Do they all get to live and I have to die
So they marched me down, to the center of town With their pitchforks high in the air I was chained and bound, with a blindfold around So the judge wouldn't catch my stare
And they hung my soul from the gallows fold but the witch they never found So to those who don't fit society's mold Better swim or you will drown
And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound So I looked to the sky, Tell me why, tell me why, Do they all get to live and I have to die
And the angels sing: let it shine, let it shine Dry the teardrops from my eyes And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind Cause the dead can't testify And because I can't take an eye for an eye In the afterlife I'll hold you 'til you die
And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground (let teardrops hit the ground) And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound (when your six feet underground) So I looked to the sky, Tell me why, tell me why, Do they all get to live and I have to die
And the angels sing: let it shine, let it shine Dry the teardrops from my eyes And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind Cause the dead can't testify And because I can't take an eye for an eye In the afterlife I'll hold you 'til you die
And the angels sing: let it shine, let it shine Dry the teardrops from my eyes And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind Cause the dead can't testify And because I can't take an eye for an eye In the afterlife I'll hold you 'til you die