"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.
Uh yeah yeah
Uh, grrr, uh, hot!
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
The heat is on what's my next move
Do I stick with the score, or get with the door
Feds got the drop in the back of the Uhaul
Snipers on the roof chance of getting away too small
Tell 'em like this look, it's gonna be a shoot out
Whoever make it out meet back at the new house good luck
If I don't see you again peace
Let's handle our business with these government police
You and you go out the front you take the back
You cover the first two and I'll take the sack
Boomer didn't make it, neither did Stan
Now it's three niggas, splitin' four hundred grand (aight)
We all feel the loss but enjoy the profit
The game is the same and nothin' gonna stop it
Most times you make it one time you won't
All a nigga could really do is have a vest under the coat (come on)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
Me and my two mans gave money twenty grand
For a scam that'll get the condo in the sand
And chances of gettin' caught slim next to none
But now we like three deep need that extra gun
Bump into my man, I remember from up North
I remember he had principles and wasn't nothin' soft
Off to discuss, just what's going dizzy
Everybody got it, aight let's get busy
Run up in the bank bitch, hit the deck
Yo bust money, and get the keys off his neck (come here)
We on the clock, three mintues until we finished
Feds are on the way, but I'm tryin' to see spinach
In and out, duffle bag across the back
Extra long sports coat to cover up the mack
Feds they attack, I spit lead out niggas spread out
Run up on a civilian in his car, make him get out
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
High speed chasin', racin' through the streets
Death's in the air, I can taste it through the heat
My partner's goin' fast I don't think he's gonna last
And if he don't, I'ma hit his wife with his half
But that's the type of nigga I am this ain't just rappin'
I made it, he didn't, but hey, shit happens
What can I do, but go on livin'
Tree in front of the condo, I'll throw on a ribbon
Life goes on, that might sound wrong but hey
We all live by the rules of the game we play
Day to day, death is a possibility
The way I play is a vest stops you from killin' me
It's too hot to be in the heat 'cause it's on
Too hot to be in the streets so I'm gone
Go back to being discreet live long
'Til one day, either me or the heat is gone
Come on!
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
The heat is on
Uh, grrr, uh, hot!
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
The heat is on what's my next move
Do I stick with the score, or get with the door
Feds got the drop in the back of the Uhaul
Snipers on the roof chance of getting away too small
Tell 'em like this look, it's gonna be a shoot out
Whoever make it out meet back at the new house good luck
If I don't see you again peace
Let's handle our business with these government police
You and you go out the front you take the back
You cover the first two and I'll take the sack
Boomer didn't make it, neither did Stan
Now it's three niggas, splitin' four hundred grand (aight)
We all feel the loss but enjoy the profit
The game is the same and nothin' gonna stop it
Most times you make it one time you won't
All a nigga could really do is have a vest under the coat (come on)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
Me and my two mans gave money twenty grand
For a scam that'll get the condo in the sand
And chances of gettin' caught slim next to none
But now we like three deep need that extra gun
Bump into my man, I remember from up North
I remember he had principles and wasn't nothin' soft
Off to discuss, just what's going dizzy
Everybody got it, aight let's get busy
Run up in the bank bitch, hit the deck
Yo bust money, and get the keys off his neck (come here)
We on the clock, three mintues until we finished
Feds are on the way, but I'm tryin' to see spinach
In and out, duffle bag across the back
Extra long sports coat to cover up the mack
Feds they attack, I spit lead out niggas spread out
Run up on a civilian in his car, make him get out
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
High speed chasin', racin' through the streets
Death's in the air, I can taste it through the heat
My partner's goin' fast I don't think he's gonna last
And if he don't, I'ma hit his wife with his half
But that's the type of nigga I am this ain't just rappin'
I made it, he didn't, but hey, shit happens
What can I do, but go on livin'
Tree in front of the condo, I'll throw on a ribbon
Life goes on, that might sound wrong but hey
We all live by the rules of the game we play
Day to day, death is a possibility
The way I play is a vest stops you from killin' me
It's too hot to be in the heat 'cause it's on
Too hot to be in the streets so I'm gone
Go back to being discreet live long
'Til one day, either me or the heat is gone
Come on!
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to fly)
The heat is on (Are y'all really ready to die)
The heat is on
Have your mother ready to cry
The heat is on (High)
The heat is on (You know)
The heat is on
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