"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.
Years ago grandaddy Baxter gave dad 40 acres
Daddy proudly named it Baxter Hill
Him and Mom raised seven kids
And gave us each 1 acre
In hopes someday that's where we all would build
Daddy's greatest dream in life was Baxter Hill
The rest all moved away but
I stayed on with mom and daddy
But they all gathered in when Mama died
They were quick decidin' papa couldn't handle business
And the six of them all said let's subdivide
You could see them dollar bill signs in their eyes
Yeah, they subdivided daddy's forty acres
The place where him and mama worked and saved
Not out of need, just out of greed
They built them six room houses
Bet mama's turnin' over in her grave
Just knowin' they've done papa this away
Well, they agreed that I could keep
The acre papa gave me
So I left that old house standin' where it was
And just a few days later
Them big old yellow graders
Started pushing up the ground my daddy loved
Tearin' up everything that he'd dreamed of
Now papa didn't say much
He just sat there on the front porch
And watched them big bulldozers rape his fields
He'd look straight ahead
And say I know your mama's dead
But she'll be comin' back to Baxter Hill
And she'll rattle chains in every room they build
Yeah, they subdidvided daddy's forty acres
But the houses stand there empty,cold and still
They sold a few, but the people moved
And swore they'd never come back
Papa just grins and says they never will
While your Mama walks on Baxter Hill
Yeah, Mama walks at night on Baxter Hill
Daddy proudly named it Baxter Hill
Him and Mom raised seven kids
And gave us each 1 acre
In hopes someday that's where we all would build
Daddy's greatest dream in life was Baxter Hill
The rest all moved away but
I stayed on with mom and daddy
But they all gathered in when Mama died
They were quick decidin' papa couldn't handle business
And the six of them all said let's subdivide
You could see them dollar bill signs in their eyes
Yeah, they subdivided daddy's forty acres
The place where him and mama worked and saved
Not out of need, just out of greed
They built them six room houses
Bet mama's turnin' over in her grave
Just knowin' they've done papa this away
Well, they agreed that I could keep
The acre papa gave me
So I left that old house standin' where it was
And just a few days later
Them big old yellow graders
Started pushing up the ground my daddy loved
Tearin' up everything that he'd dreamed of
Now papa didn't say much
He just sat there on the front porch
And watched them big bulldozers rape his fields
He'd look straight ahead
And say I know your mama's dead
But she'll be comin' back to Baxter Hill
And she'll rattle chains in every room they build
Yeah, they subdidvided daddy's forty acres
But the houses stand there empty,cold and still
They sold a few, but the people moved
And swore they'd never come back
Papa just grins and says they never will
While your Mama walks on Baxter Hill
Yeah, Mama walks at night on Baxter Hill
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Baxter Hill Lyrics as written by Paul Rigsby Don Wayne
Lyrics © DON WAYNE MUSIC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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