"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.
Crank that siren high
Drain the wellspring dry
Map out your coordinates
Send out scouts by day
Dole out mercenary pay
For restless young subordinates
It never hurts to give thanks to the local gods
You never know who might be hungry
It never hurts to scan the windows on the upper floor
I saw a face there once before when I was younger
Set the torch aflame
Call the night by name
Stake out your dark position
Lie in wait
By the gleaming city gate
Try not to lose sight of the mission
It never hurts to give thanks to the broken bones
You had to use to build your ladder
Moment close at hand
Half of you will never understand
And it doesn't really matter
Big smile on my face
Capsule just in case
Underneath my tongue
Voices on the breeze
I heard voices once like these when I was younger
Blood rushing to my face
I know that sweet warm taste
And the bitter trace
Storm right down that hill
If I don't, no one will
Follow me right through the chaos
This whole house is doomed
Even the big parts get consumed
Prepare a grave for Menelaus
It never hurts to give thanks to the navigator
Even when he's spitting out random numbers
I knew what those figures meant
And what they hoped to represent
When I was younger
Drain the wellspring dry
Map out your coordinates
Send out scouts by day
Dole out mercenary pay
For restless young subordinates
It never hurts to give thanks to the local gods
You never know who might be hungry
It never hurts to scan the windows on the upper floor
I saw a face there once before when I was younger
Set the torch aflame
Call the night by name
Stake out your dark position
Lie in wait
By the gleaming city gate
Try not to lose sight of the mission
It never hurts to give thanks to the broken bones
You had to use to build your ladder
Moment close at hand
Half of you will never understand
And it doesn't really matter
Big smile on my face
Capsule just in case
Underneath my tongue
Voices on the breeze
I heard voices once like these when I was younger
Blood rushing to my face
I know that sweet warm taste
And the bitter trace
Storm right down that hill
If I don't, no one will
Follow me right through the chaos
This whole house is doomed
Even the big parts get consumed
Prepare a grave for Menelaus
It never hurts to give thanks to the navigator
Even when he's spitting out random numbers
I knew what those figures meant
And what they hoped to represent
When I was younger
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Younger Lyrics as written by John Darnielle
Lyrics © PACIFIC ELECTRIC MUSIC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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