"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.
Solo voy con mi pena
Sola va mi condena
Correr es mi destino
Para burlar la ley
Perdido en el corazón
De la grande Babylon
Me dicen El Clandestino
Por no llevar papel
Para una ciudad del norte
Yo me fui a trabajar
Mi vida la dejé
Entre Ceuta y Gibraltar
Soy una raya en el mar
Fantasma en la ciudad
Mi vida va prohibida
Dice la autoridad
Solo voy con mi pena
Sola va mi condena
Correré mi destino
Por no llevar papel
Perdido en el corazón
De la grande Babylon
Me dicen El Clandestino
Yo soy el quiebra ley
Africano clandestino
Colombiano clandestino
Y el cubano clandestino
Marihuana ilegal
Solo voy con mi pena
Sola va mi condena
Correr es mi destino
Para burlar la ley
Perdido en el corazón
De la grande Babylon
Me dicen El Clandestino
Yo soy el quiebra ley
Africano clandestino
Colombiano clandestino
Y el cubano clandestino
Marihuana ilegal
Sola va mi condena
Correr es mi destino
Para burlar la ley
Perdido en el corazón
De la grande Babylon
Me dicen El Clandestino
Por no llevar papel
Para una ciudad del norte
Yo me fui a trabajar
Mi vida la dejé
Entre Ceuta y Gibraltar
Soy una raya en el mar
Fantasma en la ciudad
Mi vida va prohibida
Dice la autoridad
Solo voy con mi pena
Sola va mi condena
Correré mi destino
Por no llevar papel
Perdido en el corazón
De la grande Babylon
Me dicen El Clandestino
Yo soy el quiebra ley
Africano clandestino
Colombiano clandestino
Y el cubano clandestino
Marihuana ilegal
Solo voy con mi pena
Sola va mi condena
Correr es mi destino
Para burlar la ley
Perdido en el corazón
De la grande Babylon
Me dicen El Clandestino
Yo soy el quiebra ley
Africano clandestino
Colombiano clandestino
Y el cubano clandestino
Marihuana ilegal
Lyrics submitted by Nelly, edited by meaning600
Clandestino Lyrics as written by Jose Manuel Chao
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The part of "Por no llevar papel" can be translated like as don't have personal documents like an identification or a passport.
Btw, he sang "Marihuana ilegal", no doubt. I'm a latino, so trust me =P.
PS: Sorry for the bad english :x.