"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.
Lately she's been thinking what her daddy said
How when you're winning, you got more friends
But are they your friends if you fall, they're gone
Something about those kind of people seems wrong
Who's gonna be there when the phone call knocks her down?
All of the steeples but she can't hear a bell sound
Jumps on a bus to head downtown
And picks up a paper that's been blowing around
It says
When your heart breaks
He'll hurt for you
Dreams are out of reach
He'll pull you through
When you lose hope
All you gotta do
Is get on your knees again
Not long now and you're gonna see
No mountain's too high for you or for me
Or fall too far if you can believe
And get on your knees
On your knees again
She pulls up her paper and puts in her bag
Knows she really needs a savior like that
Walkin' past her church just up the street
Says "maybe it's time to get on my knees"
Cause He was there when no one was around
All of the people but no one made a sound
Thinks of her brother who's been feelin' down
Pulls out her paper and reads it aloud
When your heart breaks
He'll hurt for you
Dreams are out of reach
He'll pull you through
When you lose hope
All you gotta do
Is get on your knees again
Not long now and you're gonna see
No mountain's too high for you or for me
Or fall too far if you can believe
And get on your knees
On your knees again
Givin' everything you've got
Still it's hard to believe
Love comes from the inside out
If you wanna be free
Gotta give your life and never stop
When you're thinkin' about givin' up
Get on your knees
When your heart breaks
He'll hurt for you
Dreams are out of reach
He'll pull you through
When you lose hope
All you gotta do
Is get on your knees again
Not long now and you're gonna see
No mountain's too high for you or for me
Or fall too far if you can believe
And get on your knees
On your knees again
When you've givin' everything you've got
Gotta give your life and never stop
If you wanna be free
On your knees again
How when you're winning, you got more friends
But are they your friends if you fall, they're gone
Something about those kind of people seems wrong
Who's gonna be there when the phone call knocks her down?
All of the steeples but she can't hear a bell sound
Jumps on a bus to head downtown
And picks up a paper that's been blowing around
It says
When your heart breaks
He'll hurt for you
Dreams are out of reach
He'll pull you through
When you lose hope
All you gotta do
Is get on your knees again
Not long now and you're gonna see
No mountain's too high for you or for me
Or fall too far if you can believe
And get on your knees
On your knees again
She pulls up her paper and puts in her bag
Knows she really needs a savior like that
Walkin' past her church just up the street
Says "maybe it's time to get on my knees"
Cause He was there when no one was around
All of the people but no one made a sound
Thinks of her brother who's been feelin' down
Pulls out her paper and reads it aloud
When your heart breaks
He'll hurt for you
Dreams are out of reach
He'll pull you through
When you lose hope
All you gotta do
Is get on your knees again
Not long now and you're gonna see
No mountain's too high for you or for me
Or fall too far if you can believe
And get on your knees
On your knees again
Givin' everything you've got
Still it's hard to believe
Love comes from the inside out
If you wanna be free
Gotta give your life and never stop
When you're thinkin' about givin' up
Get on your knees
When your heart breaks
He'll hurt for you
Dreams are out of reach
He'll pull you through
When you lose hope
All you gotta do
Is get on your knees again
Not long now and you're gonna see
No mountain's too high for you or for me
Or fall too far if you can believe
And get on your knees
On your knees again
When you've givin' everything you've got
Gotta give your life and never stop
If you wanna be free
On your knees again
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Fast Car
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Page
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