"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.
I've been chasin' girls
I've been drinkin' beer
I've been getting stoned right here
I've been hangin' out
I've been livin' large
I just wanna know who's in charge
Well this society is pretty sad when any half-ass
Jock can make a million bucks even though all his brains are in his
Cock and balls go hand in gun like Kurt Cobain and disenfranchised youth
If I could crash that party I could make a million bucks too
I've been chasin' girls
I've been drinkin' beer
I've been getting stoned all year
I've been livin' large
I've been hangin' out
I've been learning how to pout
Well the economy is pretty good when any half-drunk
Lass can buy a four-wheel drive with power heated seats for her fat
Ass and hole go hand in pocket like Alanis Morissette and female angst
If I could tap her market I could buy a four-wheel drive too
I've been chasin' girls
I've been drinkin' beer
I've been getting stoned all year
I've been hangin' out
I've been livin' large
I just wanna know
Who's the idiot in charge here
I've been drinkin' beer
I've been getting stoned right here
I've been hangin' out
I've been livin' large
I just wanna know who's in charge
Well this society is pretty sad when any half-ass
Jock can make a million bucks even though all his brains are in his
Cock and balls go hand in gun like Kurt Cobain and disenfranchised youth
If I could crash that party I could make a million bucks too
I've been chasin' girls
I've been drinkin' beer
I've been getting stoned all year
I've been livin' large
I've been hangin' out
I've been learning how to pout
Well the economy is pretty good when any half-drunk
Lass can buy a four-wheel drive with power heated seats for her fat
Ass and hole go hand in pocket like Alanis Morissette and female angst
If I could tap her market I could buy a four-wheel drive too
I've been chasin' girls
I've been drinkin' beer
I've been getting stoned all year
I've been hangin' out
I've been livin' large
I just wanna know
Who's the idiot in charge here
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Fast Car
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a good good song...pretty evident what the lyrics mean...but they are also mocking the world of famous people, saying that its pretty sad that so many people can do nothing special but make so much money in return