"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.
How could she ever leave you
You loved her so much
You had it made, how could it be true
You see her on the street, it's
How are you - so long I gotta go
See you real soon
She's just a faded picture
She's just a private wince
But then you start to miss her
Maybe you'll write her a letter
Resolved - nothing to it - tomorrow
You say you want her back but
You know that's all wrong
Make up your mind, you're see-through
And so you call her up
Say what's up and blah blah
How have you been, I never see you
Yeah she was sticky sweet
You served her on a platter
You two were nude prolific
But still now you should know better
Don't do it - think again - remember
But you've got nothing better
She ain't got no one
You tell her you still love her
She says "me too"
So you get back together
So on and so on
But there's just a stump where the tree grew
She can't except the changes
She wants the same old stumps
You say she thinks too much
That she's been over-protected
Admit it - wrong again - all that time - that's it - it's finished
Well now you've found another
You've dug a new whole
Forget the old - you feel new
That was another movie
You've got another role
You play yourself, yeah, it's the real you
She want's to know your past
She says it doesn't matter
You start to tell the whole truth
But then you smile and reject it
You got her - she's the first - forever
You loved her so much
You had it made, how could it be true
You see her on the street, it's
How are you - so long I gotta go
See you real soon
She's just a faded picture
She's just a private wince
But then you start to miss her
Maybe you'll write her a letter
Resolved - nothing to it - tomorrow
You say you want her back but
You know that's all wrong
Make up your mind, you're see-through
And so you call her up
Say what's up and blah blah
How have you been, I never see you
Yeah she was sticky sweet
You served her on a platter
You two were nude prolific
But still now you should know better
Don't do it - think again - remember
But you've got nothing better
She ain't got no one
You tell her you still love her
She says "me too"
So you get back together
So on and so on
But there's just a stump where the tree grew
She can't except the changes
She wants the same old stumps
You say she thinks too much
That she's been over-protected
Admit it - wrong again - all that time - that's it - it's finished
Well now you've found another
You've dug a new whole
Forget the old - you feel new
That was another movie
You've got another role
You play yourself, yeah, it's the real you
She want's to know your past
She says it doesn't matter
You start to tell the whole truth
But then you smile and reject it
You got her - she's the first - forever
Lyrics submitted by joelm
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