"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.
Picture this, another Monday morning, you go to work
But you don't know why your going,
Everyday it's just the same, it's stupid and boring and it feels like you're going insane.
Right now you don't understand it
Slow down there's no reason to panic because one day your still gonna make it,
But ya can't get that far when your a fish outta water my friend
Marco polo don't you know that's how the game goes,
Marco polo you're a fish outta water and I bet you didn't know
Everyday life's getting harder and you're living like a fish outta water
You can't breath or you, don't bother
That's what its like when your a fish outta water
You wake up one day look around and realize your losing time
The tide has got you and you watch as your life starts to divide
Thought you'd go with the flow and the next thing you know feels like your drowning
Take a step back, check yourself, make sure you don't fuck it up, and then you do it again
Right now you don't understand it
Slow down there's no reason to panic because one day your still gonna make it,
But ya can't get that far when your a fish outta water my friend
Marco polo don't you know that's how the game goes,
Marco polo you're a fish outta water and I bet you didn't know
Everyday life's getting harder and you're living like a fish outta water
You can't breath or you, don't bother
That's what its like when your a fish outta water
Now I'm underwater so deep that I'm blind feeling around in hopes
That I'd find, inspiration
Or something that would touch me
Grounded so deep my feet can't even move me.
Time runnin' in the rat race all day
I'm thinking whose life is it anyway
Feelin' worthless can't find the surface
Swimmin' in my mind just to find the purpose
And the tides all low and I'm all exposed
Eyes froze makes me wonder bout this path I chose
Nobody told you when to run, Bang Bang
You missed the starting gun
Everyday life's getting harder and you're living like a fish outta water
You can't breath or you, don't bother
That's what its like when your a fish outta water
Everyday life's getting harder and you're living like a fish outta water
You can't breath or you, don't bother
That's what its like when your a fish outta water
But you don't know why your going,
Everyday it's just the same, it's stupid and boring and it feels like you're going insane.
Right now you don't understand it
Slow down there's no reason to panic because one day your still gonna make it,
But ya can't get that far when your a fish outta water my friend
Marco polo don't you know that's how the game goes,
Marco polo you're a fish outta water and I bet you didn't know
Everyday life's getting harder and you're living like a fish outta water
You can't breath or you, don't bother
That's what its like when your a fish outta water
You wake up one day look around and realize your losing time
The tide has got you and you watch as your life starts to divide
Thought you'd go with the flow and the next thing you know feels like your drowning
Take a step back, check yourself, make sure you don't fuck it up, and then you do it again
Right now you don't understand it
Slow down there's no reason to panic because one day your still gonna make it,
But ya can't get that far when your a fish outta water my friend
Marco polo don't you know that's how the game goes,
Marco polo you're a fish outta water and I bet you didn't know
Everyday life's getting harder and you're living like a fish outta water
You can't breath or you, don't bother
That's what its like when your a fish outta water
Now I'm underwater so deep that I'm blind feeling around in hopes
That I'd find, inspiration
Or something that would touch me
Grounded so deep my feet can't even move me.
Time runnin' in the rat race all day
I'm thinking whose life is it anyway
Feelin' worthless can't find the surface
Swimmin' in my mind just to find the purpose
And the tides all low and I'm all exposed
Eyes froze makes me wonder bout this path I chose
Nobody told you when to run, Bang Bang
You missed the starting gun
Everyday life's getting harder and you're living like a fish outta water
You can't breath or you, don't bother
That's what its like when your a fish outta water
Everyday life's getting harder and you're living like a fish outta water
You can't breath or you, don't bother
That's what its like when your a fish outta water
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Great version of a great song,
I think the line you're looking for is "swimin in my mind just to find a purpose" BTW I love this song and i think its pretty obvious what it means, just to not get too tied up with your job and things you do't like and live your life to the max.