"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.
To my unborn child
To my unborn (unborn child)
In case I don't make it
Just remember daddy loves you
I did everything I could do to make a way for me and y
So don't worry about what people say about me
To my unborn
You know daddy loves you
[Verse 1]
Now ever since my birth, I been cursed since I was born to wild
In case I never get to holla at my unborn child
Many things learned in prion
Blessed and still living
Trying to earn every penny that I'm gettin'
Reminiscin' to the beginning of my miss
When I was conceived and became to be in this position
My mama was a panther, loud
Single parent but she proud
When she witnessed baby boy rip a crowd
To school but I dropped out
And left the house cause my momma says I'm good for nothing
So I'm out, since I only got one life to live
God forgive me for my sins
Let me make it and I'll never steal again
Or deal again
My only friend is my misery
Wanting revenge for the agony they did to me
See my life ain't promised but it sure get better
Hope you understand my love letter
To my unborn child
[Chorus]
I'm writing you a letter
(To my unborn)
This is for my unborn child
(To my unborn child)
Wanna let you know I love you
Love you
Wanna let you know I feel this way
(To my unborn)
I think about you every day
(To my unborn child)
I have so much to say
[Verse 2]
So complicated to escape fate
And you can never understand till we trade places
Tell the world I feel guilty to being anxious
Ain't no way in hell, that I could ever be a rapist
It's hard to face this, cold world on a good day
When will they let the little kids in the hood play?
I got shot 5 times but I'm still breathing
Living proof there's a God if you need a reason
God believe in my own fate
Will I raise my kids in the right or the wrong way
Dear mama I'm a man now
I wanna make it on my own not a hand out
Make way for a whirlwind prophesized
I wanna go in peace
When I gotta die
On these cold streets
Ain't no love, no mercy and no friends
In case you never see my face again
To my unborn child
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
Dear Lord can you hear me?
Tell me what to say to my unborn seed
In case I pass away will my child get to feel loved
Or are we all just cursed to be street thugs
Cause being black hurts
And even worse if you speak first
Live my life as an outlaw
What could be worse
Cause maybe if I tried to change
Who am I kidding?
I'm a thug till I die
I'm a ride
maintain, touch base
eat lunch
in plush places
regular criminal oasis awaits us
If there's a heaven for true thugs
I'll see you there
And I'm sorry for not being there
Just know, your daddy was a souljah
Me against the world
Bless the boys and all my little girls
To the Lord I'm eternal
Resting in peace
Please take care of all my seeds
And my unborn child
[Chorus]
[Tupac talking]
Please take care of all my kids
And my unborn child
To my unborn child
This letter goes out to my seeds that I might not get to see
Cause of this lifestyle
Just know your daddy loved you
Got nothing but love for you
And all I wanted was for you to have a better life than I
Cause I was out there on a 24 hour 365 grind
When you get to be my age you'll understand
Just know I got love for you
And I'll see you if there's a ghetto in heaven
If there's a ghetto heaven I'll be there waiting for you
Heh heh
Take care
Run wild, but be smart
Follow the rules of the game
I know sometimes there's confusion
Rules of the game is gonna get you through it, all day every day
Watch out for these snakes and fakes
Snakes come a dime a dozen
Work hard
Study
Get your mind right
To my unborn (unborn child)
In case I don't make it
Just remember daddy loves you
I did everything I could do to make a way for me and y
So don't worry about what people say about me
To my unborn
You know daddy loves you
[Verse 1]
Now ever since my birth, I been cursed since I was born to wild
In case I never get to holla at my unborn child
Many things learned in prion
Blessed and still living
Trying to earn every penny that I'm gettin'
Reminiscin' to the beginning of my miss
When I was conceived and became to be in this position
My mama was a panther, loud
Single parent but she proud
When she witnessed baby boy rip a crowd
To school but I dropped out
And left the house cause my momma says I'm good for nothing
So I'm out, since I only got one life to live
God forgive me for my sins
Let me make it and I'll never steal again
Or deal again
My only friend is my misery
Wanting revenge for the agony they did to me
See my life ain't promised but it sure get better
Hope you understand my love letter
To my unborn child
[Chorus]
I'm writing you a letter
(To my unborn)
This is for my unborn child
(To my unborn child)
Wanna let you know I love you
Love you
Wanna let you know I feel this way
(To my unborn)
I think about you every day
(To my unborn child)
I have so much to say
[Verse 2]
So complicated to escape fate
And you can never understand till we trade places
Tell the world I feel guilty to being anxious
Ain't no way in hell, that I could ever be a rapist
It's hard to face this, cold world on a good day
When will they let the little kids in the hood play?
I got shot 5 times but I'm still breathing
Living proof there's a God if you need a reason
God believe in my own fate
Will I raise my kids in the right or the wrong way
Dear mama I'm a man now
I wanna make it on my own not a hand out
Make way for a whirlwind prophesized
I wanna go in peace
When I gotta die
On these cold streets
Ain't no love, no mercy and no friends
In case you never see my face again
To my unborn child
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
Dear Lord can you hear me?
Tell me what to say to my unborn seed
In case I pass away will my child get to feel loved
Or are we all just cursed to be street thugs
Cause being black hurts
And even worse if you speak first
Live my life as an outlaw
What could be worse
Cause maybe if I tried to change
Who am I kidding?
I'm a thug till I die
I'm a ride
maintain, touch base
eat lunch
in plush places
regular criminal oasis awaits us
If there's a heaven for true thugs
I'll see you there
And I'm sorry for not being there
Just know, your daddy was a souljah
Me against the world
Bless the boys and all my little girls
To the Lord I'm eternal
Resting in peace
Please take care of all my seeds
And my unborn child
[Chorus]
[Tupac talking]
Please take care of all my kids
And my unborn child
To my unborn child
This letter goes out to my seeds that I might not get to see
Cause of this lifestyle
Just know your daddy loved you
Got nothing but love for you
And all I wanted was for you to have a better life than I
Cause I was out there on a 24 hour 365 grind
When you get to be my age you'll understand
Just know I got love for you
And I'll see you if there's a ghetto in heaven
If there's a ghetto heaven I'll be there waiting for you
Heh heh
Take care
Run wild, but be smart
Follow the rules of the game
I know sometimes there's confusion
Rules of the game is gonna get you through it, all day every day
Watch out for these snakes and fakes
Snakes come a dime a dozen
Work hard
Study
Get your mind right
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar, edited by TheKidMakesLyrics
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Fast Car
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one of my favorite 2pac and overall songs, i believ tupac was/still is a prophet and it comes through in this song, everyday i understand more and more of it