"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.
Lady next door leaves her balcony
Opens up her door and goes inside
Sun dropped down just minutes ago
Western sky is smeared cranberry light
Normally the things on my mind that go down deep
I would not let them roam without a fight
But I stand in another man's clothes tonight
I stand in another man's clothes
Guess that's how it happens, guess that's how it goes
When you stand in another man's clothes
Sometimes it's hard to tell apart a star
From a satellite or slow-moving plane
Sometimes it's hard to tell yourself apart
From a sheet of wind whipping through the rain
I been straddling this road but here it starts to part
And from here both ways diverge on out of sight
And I stand in another man's clothes tonight
I stand in another man's clothes
I stand in another man's clothes tonight
I stand in another man's clothes
I look far as I can past the cloudy blue horizon
I wait for voices but no voices come
When I try to listen to the rhythm of my soul
All that plays is one sad solitary drum
There ain't no guarantee about tomorrow morning
If the sun will ever rage in all its light
And I stand in another man's clothes tonight
I stand in another man's clothes
Looking for answers from above and beyond
Signs from the highway and the clouds
I shout my questions with all the breath inside my lungs
But some I dare not say out loud
So if I make it through, if I come to you
Let's not waste our time on anything but love
My trousers and my shirt and the jacket on my back
Have let me step outside myself, maybe just enough
I got no time for wasting, this chance may not come round again
Don't meet me with no argument or fight
I stand in another man's clothes tonight
I stand in another man's clothes
Guess that's how it happens, guess that's how it goes
When you stand in another man's clothes
Guess that's how it happens, guess that's how it goes
When you stand in another man's clothes
Opens up her door and goes inside
Sun dropped down just minutes ago
Western sky is smeared cranberry light
Normally the things on my mind that go down deep
I would not let them roam without a fight
But I stand in another man's clothes tonight
I stand in another man's clothes
Guess that's how it happens, guess that's how it goes
When you stand in another man's clothes
Sometimes it's hard to tell apart a star
From a satellite or slow-moving plane
Sometimes it's hard to tell yourself apart
From a sheet of wind whipping through the rain
I been straddling this road but here it starts to part
And from here both ways diverge on out of sight
And I stand in another man's clothes tonight
I stand in another man's clothes
I stand in another man's clothes tonight
I stand in another man's clothes
I look far as I can past the cloudy blue horizon
I wait for voices but no voices come
When I try to listen to the rhythm of my soul
All that plays is one sad solitary drum
There ain't no guarantee about tomorrow morning
If the sun will ever rage in all its light
And I stand in another man's clothes tonight
I stand in another man's clothes
Looking for answers from above and beyond
Signs from the highway and the clouds
I shout my questions with all the breath inside my lungs
But some I dare not say out loud
So if I make it through, if I come to you
Let's not waste our time on anything but love
My trousers and my shirt and the jacket on my back
Have let me step outside myself, maybe just enough
I got no time for wasting, this chance may not come round again
Don't meet me with no argument or fight
I stand in another man's clothes tonight
I stand in another man's clothes
Guess that's how it happens, guess that's how it goes
When you stand in another man's clothes
Guess that's how it happens, guess that's how it goes
When you stand in another man's clothes
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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