"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 probably should have told her the sky was falling
Or maybe that my car ran out of gas
My grandma was sick and I had to leave town right away
Not OK
Tell one more to fix the last one
But I never get back to the truth
Thinking to myself she’ll never find out
That’s what we do (That’s what we do)
That’s how we do (That’s how we do)
I wonder what she really thinks of me
Shouldn’t have really told her everything
But it’s too late, can’t take it back
She’ll never look at me the same way again, no
(I shoulda lied) 'Cause the truth may not set me free
(And now goodbye) Is more than just a word
My honesty just became my enemy
Maybe a lie would have made things right this time
Shoulda lied, shoulda lied
Shoulda said it was the end of the world
Now sadly it’s my reality
Would she stay if I said I only had one day left
Stay with me (Stay with me)
Please don’t leave (Please don’t leave)
I wonder what she really thinks of me
I wish I would have never said a thing
But it’s too late for that
I don’t think she’s coming back
And I’ll never look at truth the same again
(I shoulda lied) 'Cause the truth may not set me free
(And now goodbye) Is more than just a word
My honesty just became my enemy
Maybe a lie would have made things right this time
Shoulda lied, shoulda lied
Now I’m trying hard to convince my heart
That everything will be OK
She said she’d never leave
And I just can’t believe she’s gone
And now I know
(I shoulda lied) 'Cause the truth may not set me free
(And now goodbye) Is more than just a word
My honesty just became my enemy
Maybe a lie would have made things right this time
I shoulda lied, lied
Promised myself next time I won’t tell the truth
'Cause if I knew what I knew right now I’ll still be with you
I shoulda lied, shoulda lied
Shoulda lied, shoulda lied
Or maybe that my car ran out of gas
My grandma was sick and I had to leave town right away
Not OK
Tell one more to fix the last one
But I never get back to the truth
Thinking to myself she’ll never find out
That’s what we do (That’s what we do)
That’s how we do (That’s how we do)
I wonder what she really thinks of me
Shouldn’t have really told her everything
But it’s too late, can’t take it back
She’ll never look at me the same way again, no
(I shoulda lied) 'Cause the truth may not set me free
(And now goodbye) Is more than just a word
My honesty just became my enemy
Maybe a lie would have made things right this time
Shoulda lied, shoulda lied
Shoulda said it was the end of the world
Now sadly it’s my reality
Would she stay if I said I only had one day left
Stay with me (Stay with me)
Please don’t leave (Please don’t leave)
I wonder what she really thinks of me
I wish I would have never said a thing
But it’s too late for that
I don’t think she’s coming back
And I’ll never look at truth the same again
(I shoulda lied) 'Cause the truth may not set me free
(And now goodbye) Is more than just a word
My honesty just became my enemy
Maybe a lie would have made things right this time
Shoulda lied, shoulda lied
Now I’m trying hard to convince my heart
That everything will be OK
She said she’d never leave
And I just can’t believe she’s gone
And now I know
(I shoulda lied) 'Cause the truth may not set me free
(And now goodbye) Is more than just a word
My honesty just became my enemy
Maybe a lie would have made things right this time
I shoulda lied, lied
Promised myself next time I won’t tell the truth
'Cause if I knew what I knew right now I’ll still be with you
I shoulda lied, shoulda lied
Shoulda lied, shoulda lied
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
I Shoulda Lied Lyrics as written by Eric Dawkins Antonio Dixon
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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