"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.
Profaner of the vices, a simple charlatan
Inflaming puerile minds with the guilt of sin
Imaginations fed to children, it has served me well
That the bowels of the earth hides the pits of hell
Idolatrine for the imbeciles
Idolatrine
Idolatrine for the debiles and the simpletons
Disciples of the watch awaits at my command
Lord of silence
Desolated one
Vengeance is his
An existence as a human
Is leaden monotony
With all desires drowned
Impure sanctimony
Idolatrine for the imbeciles
Idolatrine
Idolatrine for the debiles and the simpletons
Disciples of the watch awaits at my command
Suffer little children to come unto me
Suffer little children grant me sovereignty
Suffer little, little, princes and princesses
Idolatrine for the imbeciles
Idolatrine
Idolatrine for the debiles and the simpletons
Disciples of the watch awaits at my command
Suffer little children to come unto me
Suffer little children grant me sovereignty
Suffer little, little, princes and princesses
Inflaming puerile minds with the guilt of sin
Imaginations fed to children, it has served me well
That the bowels of the earth hides the pits of hell
Idolatrine for the imbeciles
Idolatrine
Idolatrine for the debiles and the simpletons
Disciples of the watch awaits at my command
Lord of silence
Desolated one
Vengeance is his
An existence as a human
Is leaden monotony
With all desires drowned
Impure sanctimony
Idolatrine for the imbeciles
Idolatrine
Idolatrine for the debiles and the simpletons
Disciples of the watch awaits at my command
Suffer little children to come unto me
Suffer little children grant me sovereignty
Suffer little, little, princes and princesses
Idolatrine for the imbeciles
Idolatrine
Idolatrine for the debiles and the simpletons
Disciples of the watch awaits at my command
Suffer little children to come unto me
Suffer little children grant me sovereignty
Suffer little, little, princes and princesses
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Perhaps an unwelcome perspective but I would like to add to the other comments and speculate that the lines about children might even invoke the molestation performed by a certain well known organization when said organization poses itself as a safe haven for said children.