"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.
These old letters from years ago
I felt it was leading to a continued
When I wrote this letter I felt
I may have been finally able to address how it feels
Another brick-red room, another black-top town
Another misspelled band burning their own houses down
Another pine-box tune to fill the cemetery day
Another star, a touch of orange over purgatory gray
Another thorny field to scatter fruitless seed
Another song that runs too long, God knows no one needs
More misguided ghosts, more transparent hands
To drop a nickel in our basket and we'll do our riot dance
Beneath another burning sky, behind our painted lips
In scares of catatonic smile-covered ankle-bitten ships
So throw your pedestal of stone in the forgetful sea
As protection from the paper-thin perfection you project on me
When this repetition ends behind the window shades
A semi-conscious sorrow sleeping in the bed I've made
That most unrestful bed, that most original of sins
And you'll say that's what I get when I let ambitions win again
I'd hate to let you down so I'll let the waters rise
And drown my dull reflection in the naive expectation in your eyes
Back in a cast bit-part, back when I felt most free
I had a butcher's heart and no one thought they knew me
So before the regiment resumes, before the dreaded sun appears
My driver's waiting, so let's make one point crystal clear:
You see a flood-lit form, I see a shirt design
I'm no savior of yours and you're no friend of mine
You're no friend of mine
You're no friend of mine
I'm no savior of yours and you're no friend of mine
You see a flood-lit form
I see a shirt design
I'm no savior of yours and you're no friend of mine
I see myself in the reflection of people's eyes
Realising what they see may not be even close to the image I see in myself
And I hate I might actually be more afraid to let myself down
I feel like they know the story
I saw a bear floating in the river and thought it was a fur coat
Twelve years ago I stood on the shore
Jump in and grab the coat
And the river is rushing toward a waterfall
And my friend stood at the shore and shouted to let go of the coat and swim back to land
I let go of the coat but the coat won't let go of me
In any case please let me know if there's more I can give you
If nothing comes of it, then just know we are grateful
I felt it was leading to a continued
When I wrote this letter I felt
I may have been finally able to address how it feels
Another brick-red room, another black-top town
Another misspelled band burning their own houses down
Another pine-box tune to fill the cemetery day
Another star, a touch of orange over purgatory gray
Another thorny field to scatter fruitless seed
Another song that runs too long, God knows no one needs
More misguided ghosts, more transparent hands
To drop a nickel in our basket and we'll do our riot dance
Beneath another burning sky, behind our painted lips
In scares of catatonic smile-covered ankle-bitten ships
So throw your pedestal of stone in the forgetful sea
As protection from the paper-thin perfection you project on me
When this repetition ends behind the window shades
A semi-conscious sorrow sleeping in the bed I've made
That most unrestful bed, that most original of sins
And you'll say that's what I get when I let ambitions win again
I'd hate to let you down so I'll let the waters rise
And drown my dull reflection in the naive expectation in your eyes
Back in a cast bit-part, back when I felt most free
I had a butcher's heart and no one thought they knew me
So before the regiment resumes, before the dreaded sun appears
My driver's waiting, so let's make one point crystal clear:
You see a flood-lit form, I see a shirt design
I'm no savior of yours and you're no friend of mine
You're no friend of mine
You're no friend of mine
I'm no savior of yours and you're no friend of mine
You see a flood-lit form
I see a shirt design
I'm no savior of yours and you're no friend of mine
I see myself in the reflection of people's eyes
Realising what they see may not be even close to the image I see in myself
And I hate I might actually be more afraid to let myself down
I feel like they know the story
I saw a bear floating in the river and thought it was a fur coat
Twelve years ago I stood on the shore
Jump in and grab the coat
And the river is rushing toward a waterfall
And my friend stood at the shore and shouted to let go of the coat and swim back to land
I let go of the coat but the coat won't let go of me
In any case please let me know if there's more I can give you
If nothing comes of it, then just know we are grateful
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
No Friend Lyrics as written by Hayley Nichole Williams Aaron Weiss
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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