"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 ain't mad at you
Don't you be mad at me
I ain't mad at you
So don't you be mad at me
One and one is two
Two and one is three
I wanna find my baby, goin' away downtown
Too much baby, how much baby
I wanna find my baby, goin' away downtown
Too much baby, how much baby
If I can't find Roberta, going to jump overboard and drown
Too much baby, how much baby
Oh, I said I ain't mad at you, Roberta
Don't you be mad at me, Roberta
I ain't mad at you child, Roberta
Don't you be mad at me, Roberta
One and one is two, Roberta
Two and one is three, come on baby
Oh, going to pawn my whistle, pawn my watch and chain
Too much baby, how much baby?
Going to pawn my whistle, pawn my watch and chain
Too much baby, how much baby?
If I can't find Roberta, I'll hand over all my pay
Too much baby, how much baby?
Oh, I said, I ain't mad at you, Roberta
Don't you be mad at me, Roberta
I ain't mad at you, Roberta
Don't you be mad at me, Roberta
One and one is two, Roberta
Two and one is three
Don't you be mad at me
I ain't mad at you
So don't you be mad at me
One and one is two
Two and one is three
I wanna find my baby, goin' away downtown
Too much baby, how much baby
I wanna find my baby, goin' away downtown
Too much baby, how much baby
If I can't find Roberta, going to jump overboard and drown
Too much baby, how much baby
Oh, I said I ain't mad at you, Roberta
Don't you be mad at me, Roberta
I ain't mad at you child, Roberta
Don't you be mad at me, Roberta
One and one is two, Roberta
Two and one is three, come on baby
Oh, going to pawn my whistle, pawn my watch and chain
Too much baby, how much baby?
Going to pawn my whistle, pawn my watch and chain
Too much baby, how much baby?
If I can't find Roberta, I'll hand over all my pay
Too much baby, how much baby?
Oh, I said, I ain't mad at you, Roberta
Don't you be mad at me, Roberta
I ain't mad at you, Roberta
Don't you be mad at me, Roberta
One and one is two, Roberta
Two and one is three
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Roberta Lyrics as written by Johnny Vincent Huey P. Smith
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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