"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.
The smile of dawn arrived early May
She carried a gift from her home
The night shed a tear to tell her of fear
and of sorrow and pain she'll never outgrow
Death is the first dance, eternal
There's no more freedom
The both of you will be confined to this mind
I was told there's a miracle
for each day that I try
I was told there's a new love that's born
for each one that has died
I was told there'd be no one to call on
when I feel alone and afraid
I was told if you dream of the next world,
you'll find yourself swimming in a lake of fire
As a child, I thought I could live without pain, without sorrow
As a man, I've found it's all caught up with me
I'm asleep, yet I'm so afraid
Somewhere, like a scene from a memory,
there's a picture worth a thousand words
Eluding stares from faces before me
It hides away and will never be heard of again
Deceit is the second without end
The city's cold blood teaches us to survive
Just keep my heart in your eyes and we'll stay alive
The third arrives...
Before the leaves have fallen
Before we lock the doors
There must be the third and last dance
This one will last forever
Metropolis watches and thoughtfully smiles
She's taken you to your home
It can only take place
when the struggle between our children has ended
Now the Miracle and the Sleeper know
that the third is love
Love is the Dance of Eternity
She carried a gift from her home
The night shed a tear to tell her of fear
and of sorrow and pain she'll never outgrow
Death is the first dance, eternal
There's no more freedom
The both of you will be confined to this mind
I was told there's a miracle
for each day that I try
I was told there's a new love that's born
for each one that has died
I was told there'd be no one to call on
when I feel alone and afraid
I was told if you dream of the next world,
you'll find yourself swimming in a lake of fire
As a child, I thought I could live without pain, without sorrow
As a man, I've found it's all caught up with me
I'm asleep, yet I'm so afraid
Somewhere, like a scene from a memory,
there's a picture worth a thousand words
Eluding stares from faces before me
It hides away and will never be heard of again
Deceit is the second without end
The city's cold blood teaches us to survive
Just keep my heart in your eyes and we'll stay alive
The third arrives...
Before the leaves have fallen
Before we lock the doors
There must be the third and last dance
This one will last forever
Metropolis watches and thoughtfully smiles
She's taken you to your home
It can only take place
when the struggle between our children has ended
Now the Miracle and the Sleeper know
that the third is love
Love is the Dance of Eternity
Lyrics submitted by rainstorm
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Fast Car
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"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
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Head > Heels
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I've been a big DT fan for years and years, but it was only until a few months ago that I didn't own IAW. "Metropolis" has emerged as my fave song on the CD, although they're all brilliant. I love the musical interludes between lyrics, so satisfying (as Mike P would say) when it is resolved and James L sings "before the leaves have fallen..." I like to see these lyrics as being the story of a glitch: a girl gets murdered, she accidentally gets trapped in the mind of a young man 80 years later. The lyrical meaning is OK, nothing great, but I LOVE how the lyrics sound and I love to sing along with James L (much to the pain of my coworkers!). "Under a Glass Prison" gave "Metropolis" a run for it's money, but "The Miracle and the Sleeper" come out victorious in my opinion.