"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'll be accepting my apology
For taking things too seriously
Sometimes I'm old enough to keep routines
Sometimes I'm child enough to scream
For everything, I broke in two
You're barely missing me, I'm missing you
And everything you do, I really do
I really do, sure I do
My once photographic memory
For recollection's sake is failing me
I can't remember for the life of me
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
We move on
Get a job where I tell
All of my accounts of someone else
I'm quick enough to judge that they were wrong
That we knew it all along
Sing a long, long-winded song
I would be content to hum along, hum
If I state that my fingers know where to show
What everyone should have known, I'll let it go
Hopefully you'll forget
Any words that I put in print
My luck, you'll change
Have strength enough to walk away
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
We move on
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
Read and rewrite it wrong
For taking things too seriously
Sometimes I'm old enough to keep routines
Sometimes I'm child enough to scream
For everything, I broke in two
You're barely missing me, I'm missing you
And everything you do, I really do
I really do, sure I do
My once photographic memory
For recollection's sake is failing me
I can't remember for the life of me
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
We move on
Get a job where I tell
All of my accounts of someone else
I'm quick enough to judge that they were wrong
That we knew it all along
Sing a long, long-winded song
I would be content to hum along, hum
If I state that my fingers know where to show
What everyone should have known, I'll let it go
Hopefully you'll forget
Any words that I put in print
My luck, you'll change
Have strength enough to walk away
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
We move on
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
Sometimes I can think to recite
Words that I read and rewrite
My pens paint people that I've proven wrong
Read and rewrite it wrong
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