"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.
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
The camera pans, a cocktail glass
Behind the blinds of plastic plants
You'll find a lady with a fat diamond ring
And then you'll know I can't remember a damn thing
I think it's one of those de ja vu things
Or a dream that's tryin' to tell me something
Or will I ever stop thinkin' about it
I don't know, I doubt it
Subterranean by design
I wonder what I would find if I met you
I let my eyes caress you
Until I meet the thought of Misses' Princess Who?
Often wonder what makes her work
I guess I'll leave that question to the experts
Assuming that there are some out there
They're probably alone, solitaire
I can remember when
I caught up with a pastime intimate friend
She said, "Bet you're probably gonna say I look lovely
But you probably don't think nothin' of me"
She was right, though, I can't lie
She's just one of those corners in my mind
So I just put her right back with the rest
That's the way it goes, I guess
Baby, you send me
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
A careless whisper from a careless man
A neutron dance for a neutron fan
Marionette strings are dangerous things
I thought of all the trouble they bring
An eye for an eye, a spy for a spy
Rubber bands expand in a frustrating sigh
Tell me that she's not dreaming
She's got an ace in the hole
It doesn't have meaning
Reality used to be a friend of mine
'Cause complete control, I don't take too kind
Christina Applegate, you gotta put me on
Guess who's piece of the cake is jacked on?
She broke her wishbone and wished for a sign
I told her whispers in my heart were fine
What did she think she could do?
I feel for her, I really do
So I stared at the ring finger on her hand
I wanted her to be a big P.M. Dawn fan
But I had to put her right back with the rest
That's the way it goes, I guess
Baby, you send me
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Set adrift on memory bliss of you (baby, you send me)
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Set adrift on memory bliss of you (baby, you send me)
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
The camera pans, a cocktail glass
Behind the blinds of plastic plants
You'll find a lady with a fat diamond ring
And then you'll know I can't remember a damn thing
I think it's one of those de ja vu things
Or a dream that's tryin' to tell me something
Or will I ever stop thinkin' about it
I don't know, I doubt it
Subterranean by design
I wonder what I would find if I met you
I let my eyes caress you
Until I meet the thought of Misses' Princess Who?
Often wonder what makes her work
I guess I'll leave that question to the experts
Assuming that there are some out there
They're probably alone, solitaire
I can remember when
I caught up with a pastime intimate friend
She said, "Bet you're probably gonna say I look lovely
But you probably don't think nothin' of me"
She was right, though, I can't lie
She's just one of those corners in my mind
So I just put her right back with the rest
That's the way it goes, I guess
Baby, you send me
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
A careless whisper from a careless man
A neutron dance for a neutron fan
Marionette strings are dangerous things
I thought of all the trouble they bring
An eye for an eye, a spy for a spy
Rubber bands expand in a frustrating sigh
Tell me that she's not dreaming
She's got an ace in the hole
It doesn't have meaning
Reality used to be a friend of mine
'Cause complete control, I don't take too kind
Christina Applegate, you gotta put me on
Guess who's piece of the cake is jacked on?
She broke her wishbone and wished for a sign
I told her whispers in my heart were fine
What did she think she could do?
I feel for her, I really do
So I stared at the ring finger on her hand
I wanted her to be a big P.M. Dawn fan
But I had to put her right back with the rest
That's the way it goes, I guess
Baby, you send me
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Set adrift on memory bliss of you (baby, you send me)
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Set adrift on memory bliss of you (baby, you send me)
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Baby, you send me (baby, you send me)
Set adrift on memory bliss of you
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