"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.
Perfectly fine, it's fine
Said nigga brother, nigga brother, what you livin' for?
Is you gon' finish what you started? What you quittin' for?
They told me God gave me a mission
But I'm missing the supplies to complete it
I ain't the one you should read in, I'm used to being defeated
So nigga brother, who you standin' with?
I'm independent 'cause these parties never planned for this
Brother nigga with a brain, unintentionally swerving in every lane
The feeling's never the same, you chase what you couldn't gain
I'm so accustomed to flames, I couldn't tell you what's fire
Situation is dire, hear them calls from the choir
The disposition acquired from my position on Earth
Is telling me decapitate everything for what it's worth
When I die, these words gon' need separate caskets in a hearse
I don't rhyme, I freeze time and let these hands just do the work
I'm in tandem with my curse, going manic since my birth
See the canvas as a planet I'm commanding with my nerves
Tell 'em boys, don't run from us
I been down too long, cousin
I been down too long, brother
Tell the world, I ain't scared of nothin'
Tell the world, I ain't scared of jumpin'
Tell my boy, I want a crib in London
Tell the world to stop trippin' out
I'll build a different house with some different functions
Tell 'em boys, don't run from us
I been down too long, cousin
I been down too long, brother
Tell the world, I ain't scared of nothin'
Tell the world, I ain't scared of jumpin'
Tell my boy, I want a crib in London
Tell the world to stop trippin' out
I'll build a different house with some different functions
Try to treat man like baby
Feel the teeth sink in like rabies
Boy, you know you don't look fly
Dem gold chains turn your neck green, bye
Nothin' different now, all around now
Who you keep around now? That's a big reflection
Don't like how they talkin' to me, why they walkin' to me?
Wear your shit upon your sleeve, so projectin' on me
Sense is your surround sound, what's your take on me?
Kill the eagle now, what that make of me?
Angle watch screen, couple sips of Tanqueray
I'ma throw a couple punches, I'ma do it anyway
Chin up, little son, I slide in like the macarena
Lose time, penne style spiced up, jalapeño
Supersonic, move through tunnel, two-wheel cycle, slightly savage
Better than 9 millimeter with extended suppressor
Bustin' out the function, highly comfortable
Got this mad ting on my body, man, my sweat lethal
Sweet kisses like the candy out the carnival
I'ma call my own shots, hit the audible
Impending death is the only sign of life
I'm throwing Hail Marys 'til I die
Throw it up, all I have is peace of mind, throwin' up
Have my wings clipped, I don't need them shits, learn to fly again
Fast track to last place, I swear I've never been up top
But I'm up here somewhere
Out here, nobody can tell me shit
Shit, never mind what I did back then
You should take a look at yourself instead
Maybe you can find yourself, love yourself
Here's to health and here's to wealth, all together now
Tell 'em boys, don't run from us
I been down too long, cousin
I been down too long, brother
Tell the world, I ain't scared of nothin'
Tell the world, I ain't scared of jumpin'
Tell my boy, I want a crib in London
Tell the world to stop trippin' out
I'll build a different house with some different functions
Tell 'em boys, don't run from us
I been down too long, cousin
I been down too long, brother
Tell the world, I ain't scared of nothin'
Tell the world, I ain't scared of jumpin'
Tell my boy, I want a crib in London
Tell the world to stop trippin' out
I'll build a different house with some different functions
Hoo! Voodoo Man
Mama took me to the church and I sang a hymn
Co-Colonized Christian
Now I'm losing my religion, yeah
God damn, so narcissistic this millennium
Fuck you and the bubble that you livin' in
I don't go to church, but I'm so spiritual
Pulled my life out of dirt, that's a miracle
If Jesus was a pop star, would he break the bank?
All these diamonds in my face, I'm shining like the day
I'm living in my prime, man, what can I say?
If the service is an hour, I'm an hour late
Said nigga brother, nigga brother, what you livin' for?
Is you gon' finish what you started? What you quittin' for?
They told me God gave me a mission
But I'm missing the supplies to complete it
I ain't the one you should read in, I'm used to being defeated
So nigga brother, who you standin' with?
I'm independent 'cause these parties never planned for this
Brother nigga with a brain, unintentionally swerving in every lane
The feeling's never the same, you chase what you couldn't gain
I'm so accustomed to flames, I couldn't tell you what's fire
Situation is dire, hear them calls from the choir
The disposition acquired from my position on Earth
Is telling me decapitate everything for what it's worth
When I die, these words gon' need separate caskets in a hearse
I don't rhyme, I freeze time and let these hands just do the work
I'm in tandem with my curse, going manic since my birth
See the canvas as a planet I'm commanding with my nerves
Tell 'em boys, don't run from us
I been down too long, cousin
I been down too long, brother
Tell the world, I ain't scared of nothin'
Tell the world, I ain't scared of jumpin'
Tell my boy, I want a crib in London
Tell the world to stop trippin' out
I'll build a different house with some different functions
Tell 'em boys, don't run from us
I been down too long, cousin
I been down too long, brother
Tell the world, I ain't scared of nothin'
Tell the world, I ain't scared of jumpin'
Tell my boy, I want a crib in London
Tell the world to stop trippin' out
I'll build a different house with some different functions
Try to treat man like baby
Feel the teeth sink in like rabies
Boy, you know you don't look fly
Dem gold chains turn your neck green, bye
Nothin' different now, all around now
Who you keep around now? That's a big reflection
Don't like how they talkin' to me, why they walkin' to me?
Wear your shit upon your sleeve, so projectin' on me
Sense is your surround sound, what's your take on me?
Kill the eagle now, what that make of me?
Angle watch screen, couple sips of Tanqueray
I'ma throw a couple punches, I'ma do it anyway
Chin up, little son, I slide in like the macarena
Lose time, penne style spiced up, jalapeño
Supersonic, move through tunnel, two-wheel cycle, slightly savage
Better than 9 millimeter with extended suppressor
Bustin' out the function, highly comfortable
Got this mad ting on my body, man, my sweat lethal
Sweet kisses like the candy out the carnival
I'ma call my own shots, hit the audible
Impending death is the only sign of life
I'm throwing Hail Marys 'til I die
Throw it up, all I have is peace of mind, throwin' up
Have my wings clipped, I don't need them shits, learn to fly again
Fast track to last place, I swear I've never been up top
But I'm up here somewhere
Out here, nobody can tell me shit
Shit, never mind what I did back then
You should take a look at yourself instead
Maybe you can find yourself, love yourself
Here's to health and here's to wealth, all together now
Tell 'em boys, don't run from us
I been down too long, cousin
I been down too long, brother
Tell the world, I ain't scared of nothin'
Tell the world, I ain't scared of jumpin'
Tell my boy, I want a crib in London
Tell the world to stop trippin' out
I'll build a different house with some different functions
Tell 'em boys, don't run from us
I been down too long, cousin
I been down too long, brother
Tell the world, I ain't scared of nothin'
Tell the world, I ain't scared of jumpin'
Tell my boy, I want a crib in London
Tell the world to stop trippin' out
I'll build a different house with some different functions
Hoo! Voodoo Man
Mama took me to the church and I sang a hymn
Co-Colonized Christian
Now I'm losing my religion, yeah
God damn, so narcissistic this millennium
Fuck you and the bubble that you livin' in
I don't go to church, but I'm so spiritual
Pulled my life out of dirt, that's a miracle
If Jesus was a pop star, would he break the bank?
All these diamonds in my face, I'm shining like the day
I'm living in my prime, man, what can I say?
If the service is an hour, I'm an hour late
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.