"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.
Shake off the chills, just don't look into his eyes
(Keep your head down)
Think of all the things
They told you he did that were so wrong
This last ounce of love is what kept you so inspired (While they flocked)
You kept your wings outstretched with miles for you to look down
You lost yourself along the way
Gave into temptation
Enslaved by a false list of values
You try so hard to keep to
So sure that Heaven will open its gates
And inside you'll have your own estate
Where you'll own all the others
Who were too scared to live for themselves
So shake off the chills, just don't look into his eyes (Keep your head down)
Think of all the things
They told you he did that were so wrong
This last ounce of love is what kept you so inspired (While they flocked)
You kept your wings outstretched for miles and miles
Snow falls soft
And the sweetest sound it makes
Stolen goods tainted by the spit of a third
Watch his life fall to pieces
He'll never see through eyes again
Watch his life fall to pieces
Snow falls soft
And the sweetest sound it makes
But your temporary peace of mind won't last long
Forgive and forget through tears and sweat
Stolen goods tainted by the spit of a third
(Keep your head down)
Think of all the things
They told you he did that were so wrong
This last ounce of love is what kept you so inspired (While they flocked)
You kept your wings outstretched with miles for you to look down
You lost yourself along the way
Gave into temptation
Enslaved by a false list of values
You try so hard to keep to
So sure that Heaven will open its gates
And inside you'll have your own estate
Where you'll own all the others
Who were too scared to live for themselves
So shake off the chills, just don't look into his eyes (Keep your head down)
Think of all the things
They told you he did that were so wrong
This last ounce of love is what kept you so inspired (While they flocked)
You kept your wings outstretched for miles and miles
Snow falls soft
And the sweetest sound it makes
Stolen goods tainted by the spit of a third
Watch his life fall to pieces
He'll never see through eyes again
Watch his life fall to pieces
Snow falls soft
And the sweetest sound it makes
But your temporary peace of mind won't last long
Forgive and forget through tears and sweat
Stolen goods tainted by the spit of a third
Lyrics submitted by thewakebehindyou
Create Couldn't Keep Up Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
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