"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 wander lonely streets
Behind where the old Thames does flow
And in every face I meet
Oh reminds me of what I have run from
In every man, in every hand
In every kiss, you understand
That living is for other men
I hope you two will understand
I've gotta tell you my tale
Of how I loved and how I failed
I hope you understand
These feelings should not be in the man
In every child, in every eye
In every sky, above my head
I hope that I know
So come with me to bed
Because it's you and me, we're history
There ain't nothing left to say
When I will get you alone
Maybe we could find a room
Where we could see what we should do
Maybe you know it's true
Living with me's like keeping a fool
In every man, in every hand
In every kiss, you understand
That living is for other men
I hope you know that I am me, so come on
I'm thinking about history
And I'm living for history
And I think you know about me
'Cause I am
And one and one is two
But three is company
When you're thinking about the things you do
And you're thinking about the things you do
I want to tell you my tale
How I fell in love and jumped out on my bail
Do you understand there's more in a smile than in a hand
In every sky, in every kiss
There's one thing that I might have missed
Why am I going to
A place that now belongs to you
But you were weak and so am I
Let's pick it up, let's even try
To live today, so why not smile
Don't dream away your life 'cause it is mine, it is mine
Is that a crime, is that a crime, this life is mine
But the bed ain't made, it's filled full of hope
I've got a skin full of dope
Oh the bed ain't made but it's filled full of hope
I've got a skin full of dope
Behind where the old Thames does flow
And in every face I meet
Oh reminds me of what I have run from
In every man, in every hand
In every kiss, you understand
That living is for other men
I hope you two will understand
I've gotta tell you my tale
Of how I loved and how I failed
I hope you understand
These feelings should not be in the man
In every child, in every eye
In every sky, above my head
I hope that I know
So come with me to bed
Because it's you and me, we're history
There ain't nothing left to say
When I will get you alone
Maybe we could find a room
Where we could see what we should do
Maybe you know it's true
Living with me's like keeping a fool
In every man, in every hand
In every kiss, you understand
That living is for other men
I hope you know that I am me, so come on
I'm thinking about history
And I'm living for history
And I think you know about me
'Cause I am
And one and one is two
But three is company
When you're thinking about the things you do
And you're thinking about the things you do
I want to tell you my tale
How I fell in love and jumped out on my bail
Do you understand there's more in a smile than in a hand
In every sky, in every kiss
There's one thing that I might have missed
Why am I going to
A place that now belongs to you
But you were weak and so am I
Let's pick it up, let's even try
To live today, so why not smile
Don't dream away your life 'cause it is mine, it is mine
Is that a crime, is that a crime, this life is mine
But the bed ain't made, it's filled full of hope
I've got a skin full of dope
Oh the bed ain't made but it's filled full of hope
I've got a skin full of dope
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
History Lyrics as written by Peter Salisbury Nick Mccabe
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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