"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.
Look at all those fancy clothes
But these gonna keep us warm, just like those
What about your soul?
Is it cold?
Is it straight from the mold and ready to be sold?
Cars and phones and diamond rings, bling bling
Those are only removable things
What about your mind, does it shine?
Or are there things that concern you more than your time?
Gone
Goin'
Gone everything
Gone give a damn
Gone be the birds when they don't want to sing
Gone people all awkward with their things
Gone
Look at you out to make a deal
You try be appealing but you lose your appeal
What about those shoes you're in today?
They'll do no good on the bridges you brought along the way, oh
You willing to sell anything, gone with your head
Leave your footprints, well shame them with our words
Gone people, all careless and consumed, gone
Gone
Goin'
Gone everything
Gone give a damn
Gone be the birds if they don't want to sing
Gone people all awkward with their things
Gone
But these gonna keep us warm, just like those
What about your soul?
Is it cold?
Is it straight from the mold and ready to be sold?
Cars and phones and diamond rings, bling bling
Those are only removable things
What about your mind, does it shine?
Or are there things that concern you more than your time?
Gone
Goin'
Gone everything
Gone give a damn
Gone be the birds when they don't want to sing
Gone people all awkward with their things
Gone
Look at you out to make a deal
You try be appealing but you lose your appeal
What about those shoes you're in today?
They'll do no good on the bridges you brought along the way, oh
You willing to sell anything, gone with your head
Leave your footprints, well shame them with our words
Gone people, all careless and consumed, gone
Gone
Goin'
Gone everything
Gone give a damn
Gone be the birds if they don't want to sing
Gone people all awkward with their things
Gone
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Fast Car
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I'm goin to see jack Johnson play in less than i week!!!!! I'm soo excited and this song is awesome!