"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.
Wake to grab your shovel
See your breath, it's made of tar
It's a sub-zero archaeological dig
To find that artifact of a car
It's a one nine nine two Corrola with a busted left tail light
But you're always reminded the oil one works right
Oh
And all the good old boys are playing bad new songs
On the country station while the city moves on
The hot young things, they don't age like wine
I'm on the bad side of 25
I'm on the bad side of 25
Yeah
So you swivel out the driveway
Of this tundra you call home
And bumper car your way back on to work
It's a place you hate to know so well
And yet feel so unknown
So you hula the snow off your parka all alone
What I've seen might air supply your hard rock spine
I've lived long enough to see some good friends die
It's a dangerous time to be a friend of mine
I'm on the bad side of 25
I'm on the bad side of 25
Some people fade like evening
Some just never go away
But there's simply no place safer than the bank
The day after the robbery
So you wake to grab the paper
Sip your coffee, too much grind
You don't so much mind the aging
You just mind the getting wise
Mix two parts jack with two blood shot eyes
And you still feel cheated when your buzz subsides
Put your poor old parents through some sleepless nights
Still on the good side
Oh, still on the good side
How old will I be when I try to freeze time?
And my age degrades into a well-worn lie
She looks 18 between you and I
I'm on the bad side of 25
My line till I slide by 35
Make that the bad side of 45
Oh
If you remember the Berlin Wall, sing it, oh
I'm on the bad side of 25
You remember before Chernobyl, sing it
I'm on the bad side (of 25)
You remember before Mike Tyson was a champion
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
You remember the Superbowl Shuffle
Don't sing it
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
I'm on the bad bad bad bad side, yeah, I'm on
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
I'm on the bad side, on the bad side
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
The bad, bad side
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
Bad, bad, bad, bad side, bad side, bad side, bad side
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
See your breath, it's made of tar
It's a sub-zero archaeological dig
To find that artifact of a car
It's a one nine nine two Corrola with a busted left tail light
But you're always reminded the oil one works right
Oh
And all the good old boys are playing bad new songs
On the country station while the city moves on
The hot young things, they don't age like wine
I'm on the bad side of 25
I'm on the bad side of 25
Yeah
So you swivel out the driveway
Of this tundra you call home
And bumper car your way back on to work
It's a place you hate to know so well
And yet feel so unknown
So you hula the snow off your parka all alone
What I've seen might air supply your hard rock spine
I've lived long enough to see some good friends die
It's a dangerous time to be a friend of mine
I'm on the bad side of 25
I'm on the bad side of 25
Some people fade like evening
Some just never go away
But there's simply no place safer than the bank
The day after the robbery
So you wake to grab the paper
Sip your coffee, too much grind
You don't so much mind the aging
You just mind the getting wise
Mix two parts jack with two blood shot eyes
And you still feel cheated when your buzz subsides
Put your poor old parents through some sleepless nights
Still on the good side
Oh, still on the good side
How old will I be when I try to freeze time?
And my age degrades into a well-worn lie
She looks 18 between you and I
I'm on the bad side of 25
My line till I slide by 35
Make that the bad side of 45
Oh
If you remember the Berlin Wall, sing it, oh
I'm on the bad side of 25
You remember before Chernobyl, sing it
I'm on the bad side (of 25)
You remember before Mike Tyson was a champion
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
You remember the Superbowl Shuffle
Don't sing it
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
I'm on the bad bad bad bad side, yeah, I'm on
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
I'm on the bad side, on the bad side
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
The bad, bad side
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
Bad, bad, bad, bad side, bad side, bad side, bad side
(I'm on the bad side of 25)
Lyrics submitted by entitude, edited by A Nameless Ghoul
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Bad Side of 25
You wake to grab your shovel See your breath it’s made of tar It’s a subzero archaeological dig to find that artifact of a car It’s 1992 Corolla with a busted left tail light But you’re always reminded the oil one works right
And all the good old boys are playing bad new songs On the country station while the city moves on All the hot young things they don’t age like wine I’m on the bad side of 25 I’m on the bad side of 25
So you swivel out the driveway Of this tundra you call home And bumper car your way on back to work It’s a place you hate to know so well And yet feel so unknown So you hula the snow off your parka all alone
What I’ve seen might air supply your hard rock spine I’ve lived long enough to see some good friends die It’s a dangerous time to be a friend of mine I’m on the bad side of 25 I’m on the bad side of 25
Some people fade like evening Some just never go away But there’s simply no place safer than the bank the day after a robbery So you wake to grab the paper Sip your coffee too much grind You don’t so much mind the aging You just mind the getting wise
Mix two parts jack with two bloodshot eyes And you still feel cheated when your buzz subsides Put your poor old parents through sleepless nights Still on the good side... Still on the good side...
How old will I be when I try to freeze time And my age degrades into a well worn lie She looks 18 between you and I? I’m on the bad side of 25 My line til I slide by 35 Make that the bad side of 45
If you remember the Berlin wall sing it I’m on the bad side of 25 If you remember before Chernobyl sing it I’m on the bad side of 25 If you remember before Mike Tyson was the champ sing it I’m on the bad side of 25 If you remember the Super Bowl shuffle don’t sing it I’m on the bad side of 25
I’m on the bad bad bad side I’m on the bad side of 25 I’m on the bad side on the bad side I’m on the bad side of 25 Bad bad side I’m on the bad side of 25 Bad bad side bad side I’m on the bad side of 25 Bad bad