"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.
When my last song is sung and my life's work is done
And my old faithful guitar loses tone
You won't find me troubled then, wishing I could sing again
When my last song is sung I'll be gone
What a gift the Lord has shared with a man who never cared
Claiming every note I'd written for my own
So before it comes my time there's a song of thanks in line
Before my Lord and Savior calls me home
Let me sing a song for Jesus every day
For he's the one who guides me every step of the way
He's my soul inspiration and the one who guides my pen
So let the last song I sing be for him
And my old faithful guitar loses tone
You won't find me troubled then, wishing I could sing again
When my last song is sung I'll be gone
What a gift the Lord has shared with a man who never cared
Claiming every note I'd written for my own
So before it comes my time there's a song of thanks in line
Before my Lord and Savior calls me home
Let me sing a song for Jesus every day
For he's the one who guides me every step of the way
He's my soul inspiration and the one who guides my pen
So let the last song I sing be for him
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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