"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.
[Intro: Jadakiss]
Hey yo, no disrespecting nobody, but we run this shit
Just in case you all thought it wasn't real, tell them Hov
[Jay-Z]:
Year of the Roc
We want our spot back
You up, Jada
[Verse 1 - Jadakiss]:
Al Qaeda off the top, I can give them the scope
But if I don't, just another nigga living with hope
You know, bigger the shipment, bigger the boat
Old head told me, groceries was bigger than dope
I run this shit, no, maybe not with the sales
Definitely in the streets, up top of the jails
And I do a lot of thinking, listening, observing
I know how to play my position, that's my word
I mwoah, by far, flow five star
Blow my weed and buy cars
Yeah, hard to live it fierce yo
Can't say competition is none, it's definitely scarce though
Know they say quiet money, boost yo' stash
Handling things, gotta let the roosters pass
Might have seen me in the M if the roof was glass
Truthfully, these niggas ain't the truth to ass
We run this shit
[Jay-Z]:
Oh, you ain't know Jada was in the home team
I've been fucking with nigga since Reservoir Dogs
Roc-A-Fella season returns
Oh, we want our spot back
[Verse 2 - Jadakiss]:
Yo, raspy voice killa
The illest of the iller
Fly gangsta nigga, stay blowing the vanilla
Life is a bitch, and if I ever meet her, I'mma tell her
Give it to anybody, on beat, acappella
Keeping yourself above water without sinking
Looking a man in his eye without blinking
If I ain't on Ocean or Collins, I'm on Lincoln
I run this shit, what the fuck is you all thinking
Bars is way too strong for you all weakling
Stay in the booth and stay out of the precinct
Cause my new hawk need blood on it
My back is killing me, I got New York on it
Only right that I give it to them, New York want it
Know the game will change in a New York moment
Even if my performance is local
I'm still considered the Michael Corleone of the vocals
I run this shit
[Jay-Z]:
New York City
Don't get it confused
Still the home of the Spitters
Jada, talk to them
[Verse 3 - Jadakiss]
K-I Double Shah
These niggas is nice, but I guess I'm double hot
Besides money, all the respect and the love I got
At this point in my life, who would expect me to hug the block
Guess it's just something in me that I love a lot
If not, probably have my hand in another pot
Get the Porsche from there and the Lambo from another lot
See if I can take my career to another notch
But in the meantime, you all know I run this shit
[Jay-Z]:
LOX
Jada
Al Qaeda
Young
Roc Season
We want our spot back
We run this mothafucka
Hey yo, no disrespecting nobody, but we run this shit
Just in case you all thought it wasn't real, tell them Hov
[Jay-Z]:
Year of the Roc
We want our spot back
You up, Jada
[Verse 1 - Jadakiss]:
Al Qaeda off the top, I can give them the scope
But if I don't, just another nigga living with hope
You know, bigger the shipment, bigger the boat
Old head told me, groceries was bigger than dope
I run this shit, no, maybe not with the sales
Definitely in the streets, up top of the jails
And I do a lot of thinking, listening, observing
I know how to play my position, that's my word
I mwoah, by far, flow five star
Blow my weed and buy cars
Yeah, hard to live it fierce yo
Can't say competition is none, it's definitely scarce though
Know they say quiet money, boost yo' stash
Handling things, gotta let the roosters pass
Might have seen me in the M if the roof was glass
Truthfully, these niggas ain't the truth to ass
We run this shit
[Jay-Z]:
Oh, you ain't know Jada was in the home team
I've been fucking with nigga since Reservoir Dogs
Roc-A-Fella season returns
Oh, we want our spot back
[Verse 2 - Jadakiss]:
Yo, raspy voice killa
The illest of the iller
Fly gangsta nigga, stay blowing the vanilla
Life is a bitch, and if I ever meet her, I'mma tell her
Give it to anybody, on beat, acappella
Keeping yourself above water without sinking
Looking a man in his eye without blinking
If I ain't on Ocean or Collins, I'm on Lincoln
I run this shit, what the fuck is you all thinking
Bars is way too strong for you all weakling
Stay in the booth and stay out of the precinct
Cause my new hawk need blood on it
My back is killing me, I got New York on it
Only right that I give it to them, New York want it
Know the game will change in a New York moment
Even if my performance is local
I'm still considered the Michael Corleone of the vocals
I run this shit
[Jay-Z]:
New York City
Don't get it confused
Still the home of the Spitters
Jada, talk to them
[Verse 3 - Jadakiss]
K-I Double Shah
These niggas is nice, but I guess I'm double hot
Besides money, all the respect and the love I got
At this point in my life, who would expect me to hug the block
Guess it's just something in me that I love a lot
If not, probably have my hand in another pot
Get the Porsche from there and the Lambo from another lot
See if I can take my career to another notch
But in the meantime, you all know I run this shit
[Jay-Z]:
LOX
Jada
Al Qaeda
Young
Roc Season
We want our spot back
We run this mothafucka
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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