"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.
In Cumberland Kentucky
On a cool autumn evening
Billy lay in love with Marianne
She was a rich judge's daughter
He was the son of a miner
But that night their love was more than they could stand
The judge said to his daughter
"That son of that coal miner
Is someone you'd do well to leave alone"
She knew her dad so well
She knew she couldn't tell
But the truth was bound to show before too long
Their love had started growing on its own
You can't outrun the long arm of the law
No, you can't outrun the long arm of the law
Billy placed his hand on Mary
And he felt the baby moving
Kissed her, and said "I'll see you when I can"
The judge had made a promise
When he caught up with Billy
He'd send him far away from Marianne
The whole town knew he'd do it
Too many times he'd proved it
To at least a hundred men behind the wall
He'd smile behind that frown
And when he brought that gavel down
He called himself the long arm of the law
And he'd set his mind on seeing Billy fall
In a hot and humid mine shack
The midwife pulled the sheet back
And placed a cool, damp towel on Marianne
Billy's eyes were wide with wonder
From the spell he was under
When she placed the newborn baby in his hands
He didn't hear the siren
Just the baby crying
That miracle of love was all he saw
When the door came crashing down
And Billy turned around
He felt the heart and soul inside him fall
He stood face-to-face with the long arm of the law
You can't outrun the long arm of the law
No, you can't outrun the long arm of the law
You can hide out for a while
He says with a smile
But you can't outrun the long arm of the law
Seemed like everybody down in Cumberland, Kentucky
Came out that day to see poor Billy's trial
The court was called to order
There sat the judge's daughter
She looked so proud, holding Billy's child
When they brought Billy to him
The judge just looked right through him
As he held that Holy Bible in his hand
Then he smiled at his grandson
And his eyes cut back to Billy
He said "I think this time the law will understand
Son, I sentence you to life with Marianne"
You can't outrun the long arm of the law
No, you can't outrun the long arm of the law
He said to Billy with a smile
I know you hid out for a while
But you can't outrun the long arm of the law
No, you can't outrun the long arm of the law
On a cool autumn evening
Billy lay in love with Marianne
She was a rich judge's daughter
He was the son of a miner
But that night their love was more than they could stand
The judge said to his daughter
"That son of that coal miner
Is someone you'd do well to leave alone"
She knew her dad so well
She knew she couldn't tell
But the truth was bound to show before too long
Their love had started growing on its own
You can't outrun the long arm of the law
No, you can't outrun the long arm of the law
Billy placed his hand on Mary
And he felt the baby moving
Kissed her, and said "I'll see you when I can"
The judge had made a promise
When he caught up with Billy
He'd send him far away from Marianne
The whole town knew he'd do it
Too many times he'd proved it
To at least a hundred men behind the wall
He'd smile behind that frown
And when he brought that gavel down
He called himself the long arm of the law
And he'd set his mind on seeing Billy fall
In a hot and humid mine shack
The midwife pulled the sheet back
And placed a cool, damp towel on Marianne
Billy's eyes were wide with wonder
From the spell he was under
When she placed the newborn baby in his hands
He didn't hear the siren
Just the baby crying
That miracle of love was all he saw
When the door came crashing down
And Billy turned around
He felt the heart and soul inside him fall
He stood face-to-face with the long arm of the law
You can't outrun the long arm of the law
No, you can't outrun the long arm of the law
You can hide out for a while
He says with a smile
But you can't outrun the long arm of the law
Seemed like everybody down in Cumberland, Kentucky
Came out that day to see poor Billy's trial
The court was called to order
There sat the judge's daughter
She looked so proud, holding Billy's child
When they brought Billy to him
The judge just looked right through him
As he held that Holy Bible in his hand
Then he smiled at his grandson
And his eyes cut back to Billy
He said "I think this time the law will understand
Son, I sentence you to life with Marianne"
You can't outrun the long arm of the law
No, you can't outrun the long arm of the law
He said to Billy with a smile
I know you hid out for a while
But you can't outrun the long arm of the law
No, you can't outrun the long arm of the law
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