"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.
No leftovers for me
The prize in the game
No person could see
What I couldn't gain
I was the consolation prize
In a lottery never drawn
I'm staying up too late
Windows say it's dawn
Never knew my objective
Never reached my goals
Stuck without perspective
No life to look back on
Staying up too late
Sun says it's morning
I was in a lottery
For unclaimed prizes
I never won
I never won
You won
The best times were the low times
The best times were the low times
Gentle reminders of my own inhibitions
Gentle reminders of my own frailty
You couldn't see
What I could see
I had a vision
I had a vision
What now
Only I'll never know
Never the less
It's different now
had a vision
What did it mean?
had a message to send
But I lost the address
Confused, waiting
I lost the address
This morning's hint of future
Was lost in the bright afternoon
No leftovers for me
the prize in a game
Going nowhere
Go inside
It's warm out there
No person could see
What I couldn't be
I was the consolation prize
In a lottery
Never drawn
The prize in the game
No person could see
What I couldn't gain
I was the consolation prize
In a lottery never drawn
I'm staying up too late
Windows say it's dawn
Never knew my objective
Never reached my goals
Stuck without perspective
No life to look back on
Staying up too late
Sun says it's morning
I was in a lottery
For unclaimed prizes
I never won
I never won
You won
The best times were the low times
The best times were the low times
Gentle reminders of my own inhibitions
Gentle reminders of my own frailty
You couldn't see
What I could see
I had a vision
I had a vision
What now
Only I'll never know
Never the less
It's different now
had a vision
What did it mean?
had a message to send
But I lost the address
Confused, waiting
I lost the address
This morning's hint of future
Was lost in the bright afternoon
No leftovers for me
the prize in a game
Going nowhere
Go inside
It's warm out there
No person could see
What I couldn't be
I was the consolation prize
In a lottery
Never drawn
Lyrics submitted by blood is thin
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Fast Car
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