"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.
At last we meet again, dear god
When the angels sing
The funeral's are nicer, when we know you're there
And the angels sing
Sometimes I try so hard to understand the things you do
Who am I to question you when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Stand up strong feel the pain
When the angels sing
Love and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
The prisoners pray when they're on death row
When the angels sing
The junkie cries for love, but its all run out
When the angels sing
The sins of the world, and its cold on the streets and you're all alone
And the tears they start to fall when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Stand up strong feel the pain
When the angels sing
Love and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
Little by little, day by day
Watch the children play
Cause life and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
When the angel of death, comes a looking for me
Hear the angels sing
I hope I was everything I was supposed to be
When the angels sing
There's gotta be a heaven, cause I've already done my time in hell
And a little babies bawl, when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Little by little, day by day
Watch the children play
Cause life and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
When the angels sing
The funeral's are nicer, when we know you're there
And the angels sing
Sometimes I try so hard to understand the things you do
Who am I to question you when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Stand up strong feel the pain
When the angels sing
Love and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
The prisoners pray when they're on death row
When the angels sing
The junkie cries for love, but its all run out
When the angels sing
The sins of the world, and its cold on the streets and you're all alone
And the tears they start to fall when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Stand up strong feel the pain
When the angels sing
Love and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
Little by little, day by day
Watch the children play
Cause life and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
When the angel of death, comes a looking for me
Hear the angels sing
I hope I was everything I was supposed to be
When the angels sing
There's gotta be a heaven, cause I've already done my time in hell
And a little babies bawl, when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Little by little, day by day
Watch the children play
Cause life and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
Lyrics submitted by toterkater
When the Angels Sing Lyrics as written by Michael Ness
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this song about a child Mike Ness had and died? That's what my cousin, a huge Social D fan told me. I remember he later played it in dedication to Dennis, founding member of the band, when he passed away.