"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.
It's time to take you to its full potential
Peep this
And drop some game on the instrumental and
It's a symptom that you listen close and better tell your folks
Let the locust lock
First things first since your date of birth
You've been kinda' confused about what your life is worth
50 million times don't wait and go
You gotta' take control
Those fools don't want to be home
You can do anything that you want to do
All you got to do is to put your brain into it
Take your time and educate your mind
In the long run I'm sure you'll find
That if you walk the walk you can talk the talk
But don't wait too long "Cause' life is short
And remember, no matter what they tellin' you
If you try, you can be a winner too
Keep on pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You're a winner
You gotta keep pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You're a winner
Everybody rides with the women boys and girls
Each one teach one but we can't save the world
All in one day you could take it play by play
And once you're on the path
Don't you ever go astray
You could lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink
You can give a man some wisdom but you can't make him think
'Cause, stitchin time says nine
Dirty bird gets the worm
But all you can think about is gettin' attention for your firm
If knowledge is power and power is knowledge, then
How so many idiots be graduating from colleges
Better to be silent than be thought a fool
Than to speakin' to move all out
You know what I'm talking about
When opportunity knocks you better let him in and sit him on down
And try to be his friend
In order to be a professional first you got to be a beginner
But if you keep on pushing you can be a winner
Keep on pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You're a winner
You gotta keep pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You're a winner
Red yellow black white or brown
If everybody mind their business we can all get down
It all starts and on
"Cause once they're grown they're gone
And once they're on their own their own
You got to leave them alone
Be a leader and if you can't be a leader
Make sure your leader is a damn good teacher and
Imagine if you was in a car and your life was wasted
Somebody was on your back and you had to give him some space
Put the pedal to the metal where it match at low
But make sure you stay in your lane
And go stroke for stroke
We don't need no penalty's or eliminations
Or disqualifications
What we need is penetrations
I know you heard before but sometimes life is what you make it
I ain't the one that's known for fakin' or perpetrating
If Albert was an Einstein
And Phillis was a Diller
And Michael Jackson was a thriller
Then you could be a winner
Keep on pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You gotta keep moving
Everybody we're moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up, moving on up
You gotta keep on pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You're a winner
Moving on up
You're a winner
Moving on up, (you gotta keep pushing)
Peep this
And drop some game on the instrumental and
It's a symptom that you listen close and better tell your folks
Let the locust lock
First things first since your date of birth
You've been kinda' confused about what your life is worth
50 million times don't wait and go
You gotta' take control
Those fools don't want to be home
You can do anything that you want to do
All you got to do is to put your brain into it
Take your time and educate your mind
In the long run I'm sure you'll find
That if you walk the walk you can talk the talk
But don't wait too long "Cause' life is short
And remember, no matter what they tellin' you
If you try, you can be a winner too
Keep on pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You're a winner
You gotta keep pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You're a winner
Everybody rides with the women boys and girls
Each one teach one but we can't save the world
All in one day you could take it play by play
And once you're on the path
Don't you ever go astray
You could lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink
You can give a man some wisdom but you can't make him think
'Cause, stitchin time says nine
Dirty bird gets the worm
But all you can think about is gettin' attention for your firm
If knowledge is power and power is knowledge, then
How so many idiots be graduating from colleges
Better to be silent than be thought a fool
Than to speakin' to move all out
You know what I'm talking about
When opportunity knocks you better let him in and sit him on down
And try to be his friend
In order to be a professional first you got to be a beginner
But if you keep on pushing you can be a winner
Keep on pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You're a winner
You gotta keep pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You're a winner
Red yellow black white or brown
If everybody mind their business we can all get down
It all starts and on
"Cause once they're grown they're gone
And once they're on their own their own
You got to leave them alone
Be a leader and if you can't be a leader
Make sure your leader is a damn good teacher and
Imagine if you was in a car and your life was wasted
Somebody was on your back and you had to give him some space
Put the pedal to the metal where it match at low
But make sure you stay in your lane
And go stroke for stroke
We don't need no penalty's or eliminations
Or disqualifications
What we need is penetrations
I know you heard before but sometimes life is what you make it
I ain't the one that's known for fakin' or perpetrating
If Albert was an Einstein
And Phillis was a Diller
And Michael Jackson was a thriller
Then you could be a winner
Keep on pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You gotta keep moving
Everybody we're moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up, moving on up
You gotta keep on pushing
Moving on up
Everybody we're moving on up
Moving on up
You're a winner
Moving on up
You're a winner
Moving on up, (you gotta keep pushing)
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
The Winner Lyrics as written by Curtis Mayfield Artis L Jr Ivey
Lyrics © Exploration Group LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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