"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.
(Got me reachin', reachin', you got me reachin', reachin')
Reachin' for somethin' I can't have, though it may cause me pain
Needing his love so much till only hurt remains
Standing high on society hill, a voice calls out to me
From a boy I love & need so much, he says he's not for me
'Cause I live up & he lives down, on the poor side of town
But still I'm reachin', reachin'; I can't help reachin', reachin'
'Cause he tells me he has nothin' & his place is not with me
His pride keeps him away, but still I love him more each day
So I'll keep...
Reachin' for somethin' I can't have, though it may cause me pain
Needing his love so much till only hurt remains
He says he cannot give me all the things a rich man can
"Stay on your hill & don't look down; forget our love began"
& even though he loves me so, he must let me go
But still I'm reachin', reachin'; I can't help reachin', reachin'
For a boy who cannot give me nothin' but his love
But he's everything I need & I've got to make him see
So I'll keep...
Reachin' for somethin' I can't have, though it may cause me pain
Needing his love so much till only hurt remains
I need him & I want him & I don't care if he has nothing
Just to have him close to me, that's all I ever need
Reachin' for somethin' I can't have, though it may cause me pain
Needing his love so much till only hurt remains
Standing high on society hill, a voice calls out to me
From a boy I love & need so much, he says he's not for me
'Cause I live up & he lives down, on the poor side of town
But still I'm reachin', reachin'; I can't help reachin', reachin'
'Cause he tells me he has nothin' & his place is not with me
His pride keeps him away, but still I love him more each day
So I'll keep...
Reachin' for somethin' I can't have, though it may cause me pain
Needing his love so much till only hurt remains
He says he cannot give me all the things a rich man can
"Stay on your hill & don't look down; forget our love began"
& even though he loves me so, he must let me go
But still I'm reachin', reachin'; I can't help reachin', reachin'
For a boy who cannot give me nothin' but his love
But he's everything I need & I've got to make him see
So I'll keep...
Reachin' for somethin' I can't have, though it may cause me pain
Needing his love so much till only hurt remains
I need him & I want him & I don't care if he has nothing
Just to have him close to me, that's all I ever need
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Reachin' for Something I Can't Have Lyrics as written by Weatherspoon Cato James Dean
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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