"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.
You're everywhere I've seen you bleed
High in my home
I watch you and miss you all day long
You keep me lying playing games with your pet brain
I know why you told me you had the right to!
I've always thought this train was just some
Phase but you ride on
You want me to ride around too
Fill your ego and bring you every inch of the way
I know why you need to kill all the pain there
Sympathize with me cause here I am
I am rolling on my head
Like a child you move so quickly
To touch the flame
You burn the vein goodnight
All along you run into mirrors
Everything you do is coming fast
Getting strong on the wrong from the money
Driving in your head you're in the train
Your only need in life is flying in the wind, I know
Why you told me it was your right to
You tell me to look and watch you go down in
Your vein, I know why,
To shock me
Your time for reaching
You're always slipping, slidding deeper when you
Breathe
I walk by
You force me to walk around you
Until the phone rings
Asking how much do you need
You tremble on
As if your tricks have been heard before
Sympathize with me cause here I am
I am rolling on my head
Like a child you move so quickly
To touch the flame
You burn the pain goodnight
As you glide through the river
Everyone just looks as if you're dead
If I had the strength of ten men
I'd pull your arms out and stick them on your
Head in pieces!!!
You drown me white washed crippled inside
Me my love
Is shoot to shame
Your right from wrong
It's emotion today
Release me life of no matter
My life is here I will overcome
Your life away
But your life will roll
Your life away
But your life will roll
Your life away
But your life will roll
Your life your way
But your life will roll
Your life your way
Your life your way
You like it
Oh brother
Brother can I see you now my brother
It's been to long since you've been away
Brother
You're driving hard to get away brother
I hope you've not gone too far
High in my home
I watch you and miss you all day long
You keep me lying playing games with your pet brain
I know why you told me you had the right to!
I've always thought this train was just some
Phase but you ride on
You want me to ride around too
Fill your ego and bring you every inch of the way
I know why you need to kill all the pain there
Sympathize with me cause here I am
I am rolling on my head
Like a child you move so quickly
To touch the flame
You burn the vein goodnight
All along you run into mirrors
Everything you do is coming fast
Getting strong on the wrong from the money
Driving in your head you're in the train
Your only need in life is flying in the wind, I know
Why you told me it was your right to
You tell me to look and watch you go down in
Your vein, I know why,
To shock me
Your time for reaching
You're always slipping, slidding deeper when you
Breathe
I walk by
You force me to walk around you
Until the phone rings
Asking how much do you need
You tremble on
As if your tricks have been heard before
Sympathize with me cause here I am
I am rolling on my head
Like a child you move so quickly
To touch the flame
You burn the pain goodnight
As you glide through the river
Everyone just looks as if you're dead
If I had the strength of ten men
I'd pull your arms out and stick them on your
Head in pieces!!!
You drown me white washed crippled inside
Me my love
Is shoot to shame
Your right from wrong
It's emotion today
Release me life of no matter
My life is here I will overcome
Your life away
But your life will roll
Your life away
But your life will roll
Your life away
But your life will roll
Your life your way
But your life will roll
Your life your way
Your life your way
You like it
Oh brother
Brother can I see you now my brother
It's been to long since you've been away
Brother
You're driving hard to get away brother
I hope you've not gone too far
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