"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.
Departures are so hard
You say
Packing up your things
Your necklaces and rings
Your darvidan and morphine
You can't believe the actor
Smacked her
Gave her a black eye
There's something in a western winter
Where it's easier to say
Goodbye, Goodbye
These yellow lights
are turning red (turning red)
You starve your heart
You starve your head
And when its over
You go back to bed
I don't want a job
I don't want to go to school
I don't want a job
I've got more important things to do
You keep in touch with old friends
I keep in touch with you
Your begging me to make
Every little word count
I don't now but I used to
You still do drugs
I still play games
You prefer not knowing I call you names
In flights of fancy
Grandeur and fame
Goodbye goodbye
These yellow lights
are turning red (turning red)
You starve your heart
You starve your head
And when its over
You go back to bed
I don't want a job
I don't want to go to school
I don't want a job
I've got more important things to do
Wake up to the thought of you
It's december, remember
How cold it was in my garage
You sat with your legs crossed
and your heart lost
mine lost in losing you
Street lights like a christmas tree
But the fires aren't burning
Cuz it's 80 degrees
and I'd like to have you alone
In my favorite cologne
With the air on your hair
and we're still getting stoned
It's a shame the games we play
But I like it that way
These yellow lights
are turning red (turning red)
You starve your heart
You starve your head
And when its over
You go back to bed
I don't want a job
I don't want to go to school
I don't want a job
I've got more important things to do
More important things to do
Than you
You say
Packing up your things
Your necklaces and rings
Your darvidan and morphine
You can't believe the actor
Smacked her
Gave her a black eye
There's something in a western winter
Where it's easier to say
Goodbye, Goodbye
These yellow lights
are turning red (turning red)
You starve your heart
You starve your head
And when its over
You go back to bed
I don't want a job
I don't want to go to school
I don't want a job
I've got more important things to do
You keep in touch with old friends
I keep in touch with you
Your begging me to make
Every little word count
I don't now but I used to
You still do drugs
I still play games
You prefer not knowing I call you names
In flights of fancy
Grandeur and fame
Goodbye goodbye
These yellow lights
are turning red (turning red)
You starve your heart
You starve your head
And when its over
You go back to bed
I don't want a job
I don't want to go to school
I don't want a job
I've got more important things to do
Wake up to the thought of you
It's december, remember
How cold it was in my garage
You sat with your legs crossed
and your heart lost
mine lost in losing you
Street lights like a christmas tree
But the fires aren't burning
Cuz it's 80 degrees
and I'd like to have you alone
In my favorite cologne
With the air on your hair
and we're still getting stoned
It's a shame the games we play
But I like it that way
These yellow lights
are turning red (turning red)
You starve your heart
You starve your head
And when its over
You go back to bed
I don't want a job
I don't want to go to school
I don't want a job
I've got more important things to do
More important things to do
Than you
Lyrics submitted by evilmprss
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Fast Car
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I wish i could get a clearer version of this song so i could actually make out the lyrics. Since this is songmeanings.com let me ask this: What do these lyrics mean? hehe