"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.
It's not in the way that you hold me
It's not in the way you say you care
It's not in the way you've been treating my friends
It's not in the way that you stayed 'til the end
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa
It's not in the words that you told me, girl
It's not in the way you say you're mine, ooh
It's not in the way that you came back to me
It's not in the way that your love set me free
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa
It's not in the words that you told me
It's not in the way you say you're mine, ooh
It's not in the way that you came back to me
It's not in the way that your love set me free
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa
Hold the line, love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Hold the line, love isn't always on time
Love isn't always, love isn't always on time
Hold the line, love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Whoa whoa whoa
It's not in the way you say you care
It's not in the way you've been treating my friends
It's not in the way that you stayed 'til the end
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa
It's not in the words that you told me, girl
It's not in the way you say you're mine, ooh
It's not in the way that you came back to me
It's not in the way that your love set me free
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa
It's not in the words that you told me
It's not in the way you say you're mine, ooh
It's not in the way that you came back to me
It's not in the way that your love set me free
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa
Hold the line, love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Hold the line, love isn't always on time
Love isn't always, love isn't always on time
Hold the line, love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Whoa whoa whoa
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ha ha only we have commented and I don't wanna say anything reasonable