"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.
Welcome to the world of violence,
hear the chants of hate,
where all anger and confusion
mixed down all this way
Society won't take the blame
on these brutal acts
Burning people, torture, killing,
what else can I say?
Blood is spilled on the ground,
body laid down in weakness
They won't hear his pleading
when they pour the gasoline
Paid in full for a little crime,
man, he's been kicked and beaten
No more chance to escape,
just wait for his last breath
Burn! Die! Burn! Die!
Something sure must happen
if law is not functioning
When the crimes are on the top,
none can take it any longer
Wilder than defined "anarchy"
"You cops, stay away!
We are kings of own neighbourhood,
to protect and to kill!"
Blood is spilled on the ground,
body laid down in weakness
They won't hear his pleading
when they pour the gasoline
Paid in full for a little crime,
man, he's been kicked and beaten
No more chance to escape,
just wait for his last breath
Worse than the animal,
evil is the nature of man
Driven by sadistic plans of action,
can we save ourselves?
Blood is spilled on the ground,
body laid down in weakness
They won't hear his pleading
when they pour the gasoline
Paid in full for a little crime,
man, he's been kicked and beaten
No more chance to escape,
just wait for his last breath
Burn! Die! Burn! Die!
There is no one righteous, not even one
What should we do to take away
all these monsters within?
hear the chants of hate,
where all anger and confusion
mixed down all this way
Society won't take the blame
on these brutal acts
Burning people, torture, killing,
what else can I say?
Blood is spilled on the ground,
body laid down in weakness
They won't hear his pleading
when they pour the gasoline
Paid in full for a little crime,
man, he's been kicked and beaten
No more chance to escape,
just wait for his last breath
Burn! Die! Burn! Die!
Something sure must happen
if law is not functioning
When the crimes are on the top,
none can take it any longer
Wilder than defined "anarchy"
"You cops, stay away!
We are kings of own neighbourhood,
to protect and to kill!"
Blood is spilled on the ground,
body laid down in weakness
They won't hear his pleading
when they pour the gasoline
Paid in full for a little crime,
man, he's been kicked and beaten
No more chance to escape,
just wait for his last breath
Worse than the animal,
evil is the nature of man
Driven by sadistic plans of action,
can we save ourselves?
Blood is spilled on the ground,
body laid down in weakness
They won't hear his pleading
when they pour the gasoline
Paid in full for a little crime,
man, he's been kicked and beaten
No more chance to escape,
just wait for his last breath
Burn! Die! Burn! Die!
There is no one righteous, not even one
What should we do to take away
all these monsters within?
Lyrics submitted by Octavarium64
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