"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.
Moenie bang wees nie
gee jouself weg
vir absoluut niks nie
word deel van die battery
waarna niemand sal luister nie
ons is in elk geval dieselfde
koolstof kopieë
met slange vir vriende
dwelms is skelm
en het al my woorde gesteel
ons soek 'n podium
iets van betekenis
nou dat ons ouer is
word die rook al hoe dikker in
my longe ingeasem
doen ons Prozac in plaas van Ritalin
drink ons op jou
wat sy drome kan onthou
jy's nie generies nie
ek's net pateties
dis redelik frusterend maar
ek wil net iets warm vashou
die emosionele hel
waarin ek myself bevind
nou dat ons kouer is
word die rook al hoe dikker in
ons atmosfeer in gebliksem
'n weermag hyskrane op die horison
beskerm jou deur om jouself toe te bou[1]
vasgepleister in woonkamers
in voorstede
soek ons grasie van ons doemprofete
ek lys my nuweweeks-voornemens magteloos
verplig en beskuldig
inspirasie vasgeverf in wit
noudat ons, ons ouers is
word die rook al hoe dikker in
my longe ingeasem
doen ons Prozac in plaas van Ritalin
drink ons op jou
wat sy drome kan onthou
gee jouself weg
vir absoluut niks nie
word deel van die battery
waarna niemand sal luister nie
ons is in elk geval dieselfde
koolstof kopieë
met slange vir vriende
dwelms is skelm
en het al my woorde gesteel
ons soek 'n podium
iets van betekenis
nou dat ons ouer is
word die rook al hoe dikker in
my longe ingeasem
doen ons Prozac in plaas van Ritalin
drink ons op jou
wat sy drome kan onthou
jy's nie generies nie
ek's net pateties
dis redelik frusterend maar
ek wil net iets warm vashou
die emosionele hel
waarin ek myself bevind
nou dat ons kouer is
word die rook al hoe dikker in
ons atmosfeer in gebliksem
'n weermag hyskrane op die horison
beskerm jou deur om jouself toe te bou[1]
vasgepleister in woonkamers
in voorstede
soek ons grasie van ons doemprofete
ek lys my nuweweeks-voornemens magteloos
verplig en beskuldig
inspirasie vasgeverf in wit
noudat ons, ons ouers is
word die rook al hoe dikker in
my longe ingeasem
doen ons Prozac in plaas van Ritalin
drink ons op jou
wat sy drome kan onthou
Lyrics submitted by cinabeat
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Die song is freakin amazing