"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.
(Rag doll, ooh) (Hand me down)
When she was just a kid
Her clothes were hand-me-downs
(Hand-me-down)
They always laughed at her when she came into town
Called her rag doll
Little rag doll
Such a pretty face should be dressed in lace
Ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
(Shag rag doll)
I'd change her sad rags into glad rags
If I could (if I could)
My folks won't let me
'Cause they say that she's no good
She's a rag doll, such a rag doll
Though I love her so
I can't let her know
Ooh ooh ooh ooh oh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh oh
Aah aah aah aah aah
I love you just they way you are
When she was just a kid
Her clothes were hand-me-downs
(Hand-me-down)
They always laughed at her when she came into town
Called her rag doll
Little rag doll
Such a pretty face should be dressed in lace
Ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
(Shag rag doll)
I'd change her sad rags into glad rags
If I could (if I could)
My folks won't let me
'Cause they say that she's no good
She's a rag doll, such a rag doll
Though I love her so
I can't let her know
Ooh ooh ooh ooh oh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh oh
Aah aah aah aah aah
I love you just they way you are
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Rag Doll Lyrics as written by Bob Gaudio Bob Crewe
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, MUSIC & MEDIA INT'L, INC., SONY ATV MUSIC PUB LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUB GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group
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