"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.
Listen up, little one
We're already ahead of the game
Hurry now, make me proud
I'm still finding the strength to say
Say goodbye, there's no time
Make it worth every minute
And never forget every day
Hey little girl you're on top of the world
You're all that I wanted to know
Never look bacck you're much stronger than that
And nobody knows where to go
When they come to a fork in the road
Shout it out, make it loud
What's the best we could make of today?
Wave goodbye, draw the line
Cause it's worth every minute
You'll never forget every day
Hey little girl you're on top of the world
You're all that I wanted to know
Never look bacck you're much stronger than that
And nobody knows where to go
Going home
All the world is so broken
Now that there is no time
All words left unspoken
I'll leave them burning inside
We'll be fine
Hey little girl you're on top of the world
You're all that I wanted to know
Never look bacck you're much stronger than that
And nobody knows where to go
Going home
No one really knows because
No one really knows because
(Please don't cry, I'm on your side)
No one really knows where to go
Going home
No one really knows because
No one really knows because
(Wave goodbye, You'll be alright)
No one really knows where to go
When they come to a fork in the road...
We're already ahead of the game
Hurry now, make me proud
I'm still finding the strength to say
Say goodbye, there's no time
Make it worth every minute
And never forget every day
Hey little girl you're on top of the world
You're all that I wanted to know
Never look bacck you're much stronger than that
And nobody knows where to go
When they come to a fork in the road
Shout it out, make it loud
What's the best we could make of today?
Wave goodbye, draw the line
Cause it's worth every minute
You'll never forget every day
Hey little girl you're on top of the world
You're all that I wanted to know
Never look bacck you're much stronger than that
And nobody knows where to go
Going home
All the world is so broken
Now that there is no time
All words left unspoken
I'll leave them burning inside
We'll be fine
Hey little girl you're on top of the world
You're all that I wanted to know
Never look bacck you're much stronger than that
And nobody knows where to go
Going home
No one really knows because
No one really knows because
(Please don't cry, I'm on your side)
No one really knows where to go
Going home
No one really knows because
No one really knows because
(Wave goodbye, You'll be alright)
No one really knows where to go
When they come to a fork in the road...
Lyrics submitted by ForkInTheRoad
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The song is really about how all of us have to come to that place where we don't really know where to go. That place where its time to make that desicion, but are not sure which road to take. Its really inspiring you to take whichever road you want to take, and to not have any regrets.
I agree with you. This song is very sweet but still so powerful. I think the important part here is that no matter what happens, when we come to that moment of truth, do or die that the one decisiopn we don't make is go back the way we came. As long as we play the game it doesn't matter who wines