"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 nice and quiet over suburbs of North Jersey. Every night my friends and me would skate through Nichols Park. Never hurt no one just sat around and laughed about the times that past. Same old story in any town the times they go so fast. The title to the world just can't replace the smile on my face. When I know that I'm coming back home to this place. People in this town seem so much meaner. It used to be much cleaner. Make sure you know that the grass is always greener. Weekdays always came and went I felt so robbed. Never seems to stop full-time classes and two jobs. On Friday night we'd hop the path to New York City. We'd end up getting shitty most of which is still a blur to me. The title to the world just can't replace the smile on my face. When I know that I'm coming back home to this place. The people in this town seem so much meaner. It used to be much cleaner. Make sure you know that the grass is always greener. I'm gonna sit here till the sun comes up. I'm gonna think about how I'm down on my luck. I'm cold and there's nothing to do time ain't a threat. All alone in New Jersey on my last cigarette. I'm thinking about you sun's comin' up again. And I never wanted this plain old day to end. My TV can't get the channels. I go to Juan's to watch Sopranos. Twist one up and everything's alright. Looks like I'm leaving here again and all the fun will end. Seems like I'm just a normal guy living a not so normal life. The title to the world just can't replace the smile on my face. When I know I'm coming back home to this place. The people in this town seem so much meaner. It used to be much cleaner. Make sure you know that the grass is always greener. I'm gonna sit here till the sun comes up. I'm gonna thing about how I'm down on my luck. I'm cold and I don't want to go home time ain't a threat. All alone in New Jersey on my last cigarette. I'm thinking about you sun's comin' up again. And I never wanted this plain old day to end.
Lyrics submitted by x_melancholy_x
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song is about how life can be so great and then you realize you want something more so you leave and when you come back it's different but you still have those amazing memories...New Jersey is like that...