"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'm older but you're wiser than anyone can see
Your patient like no other has even been with me
Your eyes take me to places
I'd never dreamt about
Your voice is the only music I can't do without
There can't be any doubts now
We're just too far ahead to look behind
And above the good and bad
I need you to believe in my word
I feel like a broken record
And I've told you 700 times
I don't need to keep looking
My search is done
Can you put your trust in my word
I sound like a broken record
And I've said it 700 times
I don't need to keep looking
You are the one
Your hands that have no mercy
Are also my best friends
And I can get lost climbing on your legs that never end
I found a perfect distance between my body on you
And that is no distance, dear if that's alright with you
They said we wouldn't make it
But look at how we've beating all the odds
I just need you to be aware of that
I need you to believe in my word
I feel like a broken record
And I've told you 700 times
I don't need to keep looking
My search is done
Can you put your trust in my word
I sound like a broken record
And I've told you 700 times
I don't need to keep looking
You are the one
I just want you to take a leap of faith
No it's easy to make all the same mistakes
But I won't this time, no, not this time
I need you to believe in my word
I sound like a broken record
And I've said it 700 times
I don't need to keep looking
You are the one
A dozen icy summers were leading me to you
I had to hear the liars to recognize the truth
Remember the first Christmas
It almost seemed untrue
You promised that you'd always be with me
And I promised too
Your patient like no other has even been with me
Your eyes take me to places
I'd never dreamt about
Your voice is the only music I can't do without
There can't be any doubts now
We're just too far ahead to look behind
And above the good and bad
I need you to believe in my word
I feel like a broken record
And I've told you 700 times
I don't need to keep looking
My search is done
Can you put your trust in my word
I sound like a broken record
And I've said it 700 times
I don't need to keep looking
You are the one
Your hands that have no mercy
Are also my best friends
And I can get lost climbing on your legs that never end
I found a perfect distance between my body on you
And that is no distance, dear if that's alright with you
They said we wouldn't make it
But look at how we've beating all the odds
I just need you to be aware of that
I need you to believe in my word
I feel like a broken record
And I've told you 700 times
I don't need to keep looking
My search is done
Can you put your trust in my word
I sound like a broken record
And I've told you 700 times
I don't need to keep looking
You are the one
I just want you to take a leap of faith
No it's easy to make all the same mistakes
But I won't this time, no, not this time
I need you to believe in my word
I sound like a broken record
And I've said it 700 times
I don't need to keep looking
You are the one
A dozen icy summers were leading me to you
I had to hear the liars to recognize the truth
Remember the first Christmas
It almost seemed untrue
You promised that you'd always be with me
And I promised too
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Fast Car
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