"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.
Just like rats in a concrete maze
They all starve for the wage raise bait
I'm dying to escape
Self made men with their plastic cash
Big talk plans and kissing ass
Just ain't my strategy
uptown is gonna sell me
Downtown is gonna kill me
Uptown is gonna take me
Downtown I'm clenching to my soul
Uptown (oh)
Alive without control
Downtown (oh)
Alive without control
Uptown (oh)
Alive without control
puppet shows from 9-5
They dress up slaves in a suit and tie
They're living to die
Follow the leader not your heart
Simon says boy you'll go far
Like lemmings in the dark
uptown is gonna sell me
Downtown is gonna kill me
Uptown is gonna take me
Downtown I'm clenching to my soul
Uptown (oh)
Alive without control
Downtown (oh)
Alive without control
Uptown (oh)
Alive without control
I said uptown is gonna sell me
Downtown is gonna kill me
Uptown is gonna take me
(oh no) I'm clenching to my soul
Uptown
uptown (oh)
Alive without control
Downtown (oh)
Alive without control
Uptown (oh)
Alive without control
uptown
Alive without control
Downtown
Alive without control
Uptown
Alive without control
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Alive Without Control Lyrics as written by David Martin French Adam Becvar
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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