"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.
Hey, Bob, c'mon in here and put on a guitar
Like a rolling pin
Once upon a time, you dressed so fine
Threw the 'Mats a dime in your prime
Didn't you?
People'd call, you say beware doll
You're bound to fall, but we been falling through
You used to laugh a lot
At everybody that was hanging . . . out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling pin!
People would call and say beware doll
But you know you only get juiced in it
Nobody taught you how to live on sixty dollars for three days
But you're going to get used to it
You used to laugh a lot
I used to laugh a lot
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And you say do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To be on our own
With no direction home
Like a rolling stone
Like a rolling pin
Once upon a time, you dressed so fine
Threw the 'Mats a dime in your prime
Didn't you?
People'd call, you say beware doll
You're bound to fall, but we been falling through
You used to laugh a lot
At everybody that was hanging . . . out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling pin!
People would call and say beware doll
But you know you only get juiced in it
Nobody taught you how to live on sixty dollars for three days
But you're going to get used to it
You used to laugh a lot
I used to laugh a lot
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And you say do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To be on our own
With no direction home
Like a rolling stone
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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