"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.
An angel on a Harley
Pulls across to greet a fellow rolling stone
Puts his bike up on it's stand
Leans back and then extends a scarred and greasy hand
He said
"How ya doin bro? Where ya been? Where ya goin'?"
Then he takes your hand in some strange Californian handshake
And breaks the bone (have a nice day)
A housewife from Encino
Whose husband's on the golf course
With his book of rules
Breaks and makes a 'U' and idles back
To take a second look at you
(You flex your rod) You flex your rod
Fish takes the hook
Sweet vodka and tobacco in her breath
Another number in your little black book
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
Oh babe, I must be dreaming
I was standing on the leading edge
The Eastern seaboard spread before my eyes
"Jump" says Yoko Ono
"I'm too scared and too good looking", I cried
"Go on", she says
"Why don't you give it a try?
Why prolong the agony? All men must die"
Do you remember Dick Tracy?
Do you remember Shane?
(And mother wants you)
Could you see him selling tickets where the buzzard circles over
(Shane)
The body on the plain
Did you understand the music, Yoko, or was it all in vain?
(Shane)
The bitch said something mystical
So I stepped back on the curb again
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
Oh babe, I must be dreaming again
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
Pulls across to greet a fellow rolling stone
Puts his bike up on it's stand
Leans back and then extends a scarred and greasy hand
He said
"How ya doin bro? Where ya been? Where ya goin'?"
Then he takes your hand in some strange Californian handshake
And breaks the bone (have a nice day)
A housewife from Encino
Whose husband's on the golf course
With his book of rules
Breaks and makes a 'U' and idles back
To take a second look at you
(You flex your rod) You flex your rod
Fish takes the hook
Sweet vodka and tobacco in her breath
Another number in your little black book
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
Oh babe, I must be dreaming
I was standing on the leading edge
The Eastern seaboard spread before my eyes
"Jump" says Yoko Ono
"I'm too scared and too good looking", I cried
"Go on", she says
"Why don't you give it a try?
Why prolong the agony? All men must die"
Do you remember Dick Tracy?
Do you remember Shane?
(And mother wants you)
Could you see him selling tickets where the buzzard circles over
(Shane)
The body on the plain
Did you understand the music, Yoko, or was it all in vain?
(Shane)
The bitch said something mystical
So I stepped back on the curb again
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
Oh babe, I must be dreaming again
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking
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Fast Car
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Seems to me its about people's flippant sayings and actions, maybe a lack of old world integrity...everybody's out to please themselves, no matter the consequences to some other. Did John & Yoko really consider what their actions (and lyrics) would do?
I don't know entirely but this is vintage Roger Waters