"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.
I knew this girl who was drowning talented and pseudo
She was bound to computers just to make her bread
She would keep her head down though her feelings burned her
To sit around in her bed gown and dream of Burma
Alaska, Morocco, Peru and other places
One day she must of up and packed her suitcases
Leaving no traces but an overgrown yard
Box full of bills and a trail of postcards
He loves her and so he works like crazy
To try and provide a life that is worthy of his lady
Lately she has been saying that he is too often away
She is resentful of his work and all the time that it takes
He tries to explain that he doesn't want to be a martyr
But he needs to balance soul of his art
And then the crying starts and he watches her wilt
Over tired overworked overwhelmed with guilt
He's been on the run needs to be reined in
Weeks and months did it with the same old things
Reruns bring back days been
Feels like when he first realized his parents were aging (its lucid)
So free and so caged in but deep down
Cradled a dream and doing so
Just to hold on to it while all else speeds by
That nobody can take away
Needs time
Can't breathe cannot stop
You've got to be on the move
Be on the move
She is only 25 and she is always run down
She is working from the early shift to way past sundown
Studies full time night classes mostly
Two jobs hospitality to pay for the groceries
Hopefully soon the tips will get better
On the fridge late Uni fee the ultimatum letter
Meet her so exhausted couldn't hold a conversation
Is it worth it for the qualification?
This guy I knew vanished in the silver screen
Hated patrons talking cause it killed the dream
So he would see the late sessions
Make suggestions of a secret liaison were totally out of the question
Cause that urge had left him same time as the girl
You could say that he was saved by a magic world
Casablanca, Sunsets, MGM, trumpets, stumbling out of the cinema like a drunk
She was barely in control of the wheels
As they slid around the corner
She panicked as the vehicle got airborne
Split second whiplash all quiet then a squeal
In shock she starred at the steering wheel
Now she definitely won't make it on time
What exactly she was hurrying for crossed her mind
Violently jolted right here now
A near death made her see through the clouds
Can't breathe cannot stop
You got to be on the move
Be on the move
Can't breathe cannot stop
You've got to be on the move
She was bound to computers just to make her bread
She would keep her head down though her feelings burned her
To sit around in her bed gown and dream of Burma
Alaska, Morocco, Peru and other places
One day she must of up and packed her suitcases
Leaving no traces but an overgrown yard
Box full of bills and a trail of postcards
He loves her and so he works like crazy
To try and provide a life that is worthy of his lady
Lately she has been saying that he is too often away
She is resentful of his work and all the time that it takes
He tries to explain that he doesn't want to be a martyr
But he needs to balance soul of his art
And then the crying starts and he watches her wilt
Over tired overworked overwhelmed with guilt
He's been on the run needs to be reined in
Weeks and months did it with the same old things
Reruns bring back days been
Feels like when he first realized his parents were aging (its lucid)
So free and so caged in but deep down
Cradled a dream and doing so
Just to hold on to it while all else speeds by
That nobody can take away
Needs time
Can't breathe cannot stop
You've got to be on the move
Be on the move
She is only 25 and she is always run down
She is working from the early shift to way past sundown
Studies full time night classes mostly
Two jobs hospitality to pay for the groceries
Hopefully soon the tips will get better
On the fridge late Uni fee the ultimatum letter
Meet her so exhausted couldn't hold a conversation
Is it worth it for the qualification?
This guy I knew vanished in the silver screen
Hated patrons talking cause it killed the dream
So he would see the late sessions
Make suggestions of a secret liaison were totally out of the question
Cause that urge had left him same time as the girl
You could say that he was saved by a magic world
Casablanca, Sunsets, MGM, trumpets, stumbling out of the cinema like a drunk
She was barely in control of the wheels
As they slid around the corner
She panicked as the vehicle got airborne
Split second whiplash all quiet then a squeal
In shock she starred at the steering wheel
Now she definitely won't make it on time
What exactly she was hurrying for crossed her mind
Violently jolted right here now
A near death made her see through the clouds
Can't breathe cannot stop
You got to be on the move
Be on the move
Can't breathe cannot stop
You've got to be on the move
Lyrics submitted by icarter
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Fast Car
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