"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.
Oh, poor old Admiral Nelson is no longer in the air
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
On the eighth day of March in Dublin City fair
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
From his stand of stones and mortar he fell crashing through the quarter
Where once he stood so stiff and proud and rude
So let's sing our celebration, it's a service to the nation
So poor old Admiral Nelson, toora loo
Oh, fifty pounds of gelignite it sped him on his way
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
And the lad that laid the charge, we're in debt to him today
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
In Trafalgar Square it might be fair to leave old Nelson standing there
But no one tells the Irish what they'll view
Now the Dublin Corporation can stop deliberation
For the boys of Ireland showed them what to do
For a hundred and fifty seven years it stood up there in state
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
To mark old Nelson's victory o'er the French and Spanish fleet
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
But one thirty in the morning without a bit of warning
Old Nelson took a powder and he blew
Now at last the Irish nation has Parnell in higher station
Than poor old Admiral Nelson, toora loo
Oh the Russians and the Yanks, with lunar probes they play
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
And I hear the French are trying hard to make up lost headway
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
But now the Irish join the race, we have an astronaut in space
Ireland, boys, is now a world power too
So let's sing our celebration, it's a service to the nation
So poor old Admiral Nelson, toora loo
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
On the eighth day of March in Dublin City fair
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
From his stand of stones and mortar he fell crashing through the quarter
Where once he stood so stiff and proud and rude
So let's sing our celebration, it's a service to the nation
So poor old Admiral Nelson, toora loo
Oh, fifty pounds of gelignite it sped him on his way
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
And the lad that laid the charge, we're in debt to him today
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
In Trafalgar Square it might be fair to leave old Nelson standing there
But no one tells the Irish what they'll view
Now the Dublin Corporation can stop deliberation
For the boys of Ireland showed them what to do
For a hundred and fifty seven years it stood up there in state
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
To mark old Nelson's victory o'er the French and Spanish fleet
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
But one thirty in the morning without a bit of warning
Old Nelson took a powder and he blew
Now at last the Irish nation has Parnell in higher station
Than poor old Admiral Nelson, toora loo
Oh the Russians and the Yanks, with lunar probes they play
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
And I hear the French are trying hard to make up lost headway
Toora, loora, loora, loora, loo
But now the Irish join the race, we have an astronaut in space
Ireland, boys, is now a world power too
So let's sing our celebration, it's a service to the nation
So poor old Admiral Nelson, toora loo
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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Fast Car
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