"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.
Billy Goat lyrics
Billy Goat moved over to the east coast
He never knew his name
But he'd always get what he want
Billy even had a girl
But he called her friend
Didn't like to claim her name
He likes to play the game
You gotta be down, down
Down for the right thing
You can't mess around, owww
Be close to the righteous
Billy told Betty that he was leavin' town
Start gettin' worried
>From the word around
Billy got babies over here and over there
He's starting to fade away
'Cause he's so damn scared
You gotta be down, down
Down for the right thing
You can't mess around, owww
Be close to the righteous
Billy don't tell me that you're feelin' bad
The only way you can do that
Is if you're feelin' sad
Well, well, well
I always heard that you were a strong man
And the word around is that that man
Won't hang his head
You gotta be down, down
Down for the right thing
You can't mess around, owww
Be close to the righteous
Billy Goat moved over to the east coast
He never knew his name
But he'd always get what he want
Billy even had a girl
But he called her friend
Didn't like to claim her name
He likes to play the game
You gotta be down, down
Down for the right thing
You can't mess around, owww
Be close to the righteous
Billy told Betty that he was leavin' town
Start gettin' worried
>From the word around
Billy got babies over here and over there
He's starting to fade away
'Cause he's so damn scared
You gotta be down, down
Down for the right thing
You can't mess around, owww
Be close to the righteous
Billy don't tell me that you're feelin' bad
The only way you can do that
Is if you're feelin' sad
Well, well, well
I always heard that you were a strong man
And the word around is that that man
Won't hang his head
You gotta be down, down
Down for the right thing
You can't mess around, owww
Be close to the righteous
Lyrics submitted by A Hungry Dino
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