"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 sleep on the couch again
Even though you took it for the weekend
Kiss me like you wanna stay
Even though you're thinking about leaving
Please just fake it
But turn to look when I'm naked
Don't be honest
Promise me that you want this
Say you're lucky
Say you're lucky to love me
Like you used to
Even if it isn't true
I want you to lie, lie
Lie to my face
I want you to put your hands on my waist
Can we just dance 'til the sky's awake
'Cause I really can't get my heart broken tonight
I want you to show me there's a future here
Even if we've never really seen it
Tell me when you close your eyes, I'm all you see
Even if you're not dreamin'
Please just fake it
But turn to look when I'm naked
Don't be honest
Promise me that you want this
Say you're lucky
Say you're lucky to love me
Like you used to
Even if it isn't true
I want you to lie, lie
Lie to my face
I want you to put your hands on my waist
Can we just dance 'til the sky's awake
'Cause I really can't get my heart broken tonight
I want you to
Touch me like you did in the beginning
Baby, just give me another day
Touch me like there isn't something missing
'Cause even if you don't stay
I want you to lie, lie
Lie to my face
I want you to put your hands on my waist
Can we just dance 'til the sky's awake
'Cause I really can't get my heart broken tonight
I want you to lie, lie
Lie to my face
I want you to put your hands on my waist
Can we just dance 'til the sky's awake
'Cause I really can't get my heart broken tonight
I want you to
Touch me like you did in the beginning
Baby, just give me another day, hmm, hmm
Touch me like there isn't something missing
'Cause even if you don't stay
I want you to, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
Even though you took it for the weekend
Kiss me like you wanna stay
Even though you're thinking about leaving
Please just fake it
But turn to look when I'm naked
Don't be honest
Promise me that you want this
Say you're lucky
Say you're lucky to love me
Like you used to
Even if it isn't true
I want you to lie, lie
Lie to my face
I want you to put your hands on my waist
Can we just dance 'til the sky's awake
'Cause I really can't get my heart broken tonight
I want you to show me there's a future here
Even if we've never really seen it
Tell me when you close your eyes, I'm all you see
Even if you're not dreamin'
Please just fake it
But turn to look when I'm naked
Don't be honest
Promise me that you want this
Say you're lucky
Say you're lucky to love me
Like you used to
Even if it isn't true
I want you to lie, lie
Lie to my face
I want you to put your hands on my waist
Can we just dance 'til the sky's awake
'Cause I really can't get my heart broken tonight
I want you to
Touch me like you did in the beginning
Baby, just give me another day
Touch me like there isn't something missing
'Cause even if you don't stay
I want you to lie, lie
Lie to my face
I want you to put your hands on my waist
Can we just dance 'til the sky's awake
'Cause I really can't get my heart broken tonight
I want you to lie, lie
Lie to my face
I want you to put your hands on my waist
Can we just dance 'til the sky's awake
'Cause I really can't get my heart broken tonight
I want you to
Touch me like you did in the beginning
Baby, just give me another day, hmm, hmm
Touch me like there isn't something missing
'Cause even if you don't stay
I want you to, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
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Fast Car
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