"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.
Don’t know what I want but now I know where it went wrong
I am doomed, me in my room, yuh
Hate this stupid song but I grew up to sing along
I am you; recycled youth
Calling out to all the kids
Sick of being tolerant
Whose parents weren't involved and
Always fed them empty promises
From elementary halls
To everyone who's off at colleges
I’m writing you this song
And I'ma start with this
I remember little Stacy getting hated
'Cause of all the boys she dated
Daddy wasn't home
He’s stationed fighting in a war he hated
Mommy’s getting bored of waiting
So she finds a boy replacement
Stacy meet your father
Then we wonder why she’s so impatient
Another kid who’s mother hid him under all the covers 'cause her husband tends to get too drunk and sometimes he would push her
Now his papa was a trucker he
Was fighting for her custody
Oh and for their son well we
Can guess how he grew up to be
Don’t know what I want but now I know where it went wrong
I am doomed, me in my room, yuh
Hate this stupid song but I grew up to sing along
I am you; recycled youth
I’m not a prophet
Exhausted from walking
The same fuckin' path that my mom did
I love her but god I can’t watch myself
Hop in a coffin because of the problems
She got in
I don’t owe the planet a sorry for having my guard up and watching my back from your stabbing
I'm actually glad that you're mad
I’m a nuisance - I speak for the kids that I help with my music - let’s do this
Don’t know what I want but now I know where it went wrong
I am doomed, me in my room, yuh
Hate this stupid song but I grew up to sing along
I am you; recycled youth
Recycled youth
Recycled youth
Recycled youth, hell
Recycled youth, yeah
I am doomed, me in my room, yuh
Hate this stupid song but I grew up to sing along
I am you; recycled youth
Calling out to all the kids
Sick of being tolerant
Whose parents weren't involved and
Always fed them empty promises
From elementary halls
To everyone who's off at colleges
I’m writing you this song
And I'ma start with this
I remember little Stacy getting hated
'Cause of all the boys she dated
Daddy wasn't home
He’s stationed fighting in a war he hated
Mommy’s getting bored of waiting
So she finds a boy replacement
Stacy meet your father
Then we wonder why she’s so impatient
Another kid who’s mother hid him under all the covers 'cause her husband tends to get too drunk and sometimes he would push her
Now his papa was a trucker he
Was fighting for her custody
Oh and for their son well we
Can guess how he grew up to be
Don’t know what I want but now I know where it went wrong
I am doomed, me in my room, yuh
Hate this stupid song but I grew up to sing along
I am you; recycled youth
I’m not a prophet
Exhausted from walking
The same fuckin' path that my mom did
I love her but god I can’t watch myself
Hop in a coffin because of the problems
She got in
I don’t owe the planet a sorry for having my guard up and watching my back from your stabbing
I'm actually glad that you're mad
I’m a nuisance - I speak for the kids that I help with my music - let’s do this
Don’t know what I want but now I know where it went wrong
I am doomed, me in my room, yuh
Hate this stupid song but I grew up to sing along
I am you; recycled youth
Recycled youth
Recycled youth
Recycled youth, hell
Recycled youth, yeah
Lyrics submitted by sylcollective
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