"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.
I could make you scared, if you want me to
I'm not prepared, but if I have to
He said, I can make you scared, it's kind of what I do
If you're prepared, here's what I propose to do
You're in Russia and more than a million works of art
Are whisked out to the woods
When the Nazis find the whole place dark
They'll think God's left the museum for good
I can make you scared, if that's what I do
If you're prepared, and if I have to
If I make you scared, and you pay me to
That's the deal, now here's what I can do for you
Now there's a focus group that can prove
This is all nothing but cold calculation
Tests have shown that suspicious are hostile
Their lives need not be shortened
Truth be told, they can live a long, long while
Tickled to death by their importance
If you can make me scared, if that's what you do
If I'm unclear, can I get out of this thing with me and you
If you feel scared, and a bit confused
I got to say, this sounds a little beyond anything I'm used to
There's a precious few that can prove at the root
This is all nothing but cold calculation
Clearly entranced, you're leaving back now
Defanged destroyer limps into the bay
Down at the beach it's attracting quite a crowd
As kids wade through the blood out to it to play
Okay, you made me scared, you did what you set out to do
And I'm not prepared, you really had me going there for a minute or two
He said, you made me scared too, I wasn't sure I was getting through
I got to go
It's been a pleasure doing business with you
I'm not prepared, but if I have to
He said, I can make you scared, it's kind of what I do
If you're prepared, here's what I propose to do
You're in Russia and more than a million works of art
Are whisked out to the woods
When the Nazis find the whole place dark
They'll think God's left the museum for good
I can make you scared, if that's what I do
If you're prepared, and if I have to
If I make you scared, and you pay me to
That's the deal, now here's what I can do for you
Now there's a focus group that can prove
This is all nothing but cold calculation
Tests have shown that suspicious are hostile
Their lives need not be shortened
Truth be told, they can live a long, long while
Tickled to death by their importance
If you can make me scared, if that's what you do
If I'm unclear, can I get out of this thing with me and you
If you feel scared, and a bit confused
I got to say, this sounds a little beyond anything I'm used to
There's a precious few that can prove at the root
This is all nothing but cold calculation
Clearly entranced, you're leaving back now
Defanged destroyer limps into the bay
Down at the beach it's attracting quite a crowd
As kids wade through the blood out to it to play
Okay, you made me scared, you did what you set out to do
And I'm not prepared, you really had me going there for a minute or two
He said, you made me scared too, I wasn't sure I was getting through
I got to go
It's been a pleasure doing business with you
Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death, edited by P514sub
Scared Lyrics as written by Gordon Sinclair Gordon Downie
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I love this song, recently heard it live. The meaning- somewhere along the lines of growing up during the Great War, "So when Nazis find the whole place dark They'd think god's left the museum for good"
I think is a key quote, maybe growing up in Russia or one of the other neighbouring European countries the nazi's invaded.
@ProudesterMonkey I picked up on this line specifically after hearing this song and wanting to know the lyrics. I sorta viewed this as a way of saying the works of art represented freedom and individuality so when the Nazis showed up those ideals (thought of as our "God") were gone because they couldn't co-exist logically with Nazism. Or something like that. It's def a song about a relationship and others in here will break that down better than I can....but putting that line in there about the Nazis in Russia and the fanished art - trying to imply something in a compelling, if oblique, way.