"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.
Descended from Emerson, into this life
Falling, falling, falling into my seventh life
My father rode a motorcycle naked in the rain
Mother, a flower girl, blonde and 18
Three long days in the Colorado jail
Seven months pregnant, on the western trail
She met El in San Francisco, so it goes
(She met El in San Francisco, yeah so it goes)
Elwyn was out of his head, speed up his nose
Mother met a second man, by chance
She remembered from a hometown high school dance
The night they got to fighting, man's arms, they let me fall
My head hit the concrete floor, I didn't move at all
My mom hysterical, thinking I was dead
She ran into the street, scared out of her head
I watched the stars in the heavens for a while
Then I came around for good, but not with a smile
Moved home to the valley where the hippies conspire
Even my grandma loved to get high
My father dosed liquid LSD
Fried his mind for years to come, look what it's done to me
The breakup ensued, I held my baby brother's hand
I held my baby brother's hand
The nights that followed, footsteps could be heard
(The nights that followed in the house, footsteps could be heard)
No one on the second floor accept spirits I have learned
Mom and her best friend said, "It's time to go"
To Aroyo Hondo, New Mexico
Adobe huts, I recall every gathering adobe
I was hungry in the desert; I wanted to go home
Morning I awoke; I was all alone
(But I walked outside I realized)
No one but a fucking geek to share the dusty home
(No one was there; I thought I would die)
As I walked outside I realized
(Time stood still; I watched the dome)
No one was there; I thought I would die
(Then the bug came back, tears in my throat)
Time stood still as I watched the goat
(Next thing I knew I was in public school)
The nurse of a new bug came back; tears in my throat
(It wasn't much, but it followed the rules)
Next thing I knew I was in public school
(Sat alone; stood alone)
It wasn't much, but it followed the rules
(Tried my best to understand my broken home)
Sat alone; stood alone
(I got to watch my poor mother cry)
Tried to understand my broken home
(Empty, exposed to all she felt inside)
I got to watch my poor mother cry
(And then I hear these hippies philosophize)
Empty, exposed to all she felt inside
And hear these hippies philosophize
And dreaming of the commune in the sky
(Too many changing partners at different times
Brothers and sisters, don't get too close
And dreaming of the commune in the sky
And mother waves him goodbye, so I'm left here on my puzzle with nobody's help)
Boycott society, then the kids can't socialize
(My faith is my strength, living in hell)
We had a cat named "Hope" and soon it died
(Thinking about our locks too thin, wondering if I'm at all like him)
There were nervous breakdowns every day, numerous crises games
(Before the flood, before the flood, of blood, I'm dead serious, you just you wait)
Parents like to play, too many changing partners
(The Nazi Klan looked like 6)
At different times
(The plan is well underway)
Brothers and sisters, don't get too close
(Those who crossed me are cursed, will see fewer days)
Another routine goodbye
(You'll listen to me; let's kill in the street)
So I'm workin' on my puzzle with nobody's help
(You made a big mistake so just you fuckin', livin in hell, El)
My faith is my strength because I'm living in hell, thinkin' about hell,
Locked in the bin, wondering if I'm at all like him
Before the flood, before the flood of blood
I'm dead serious, so just you wait
The Manson Klan will look like saints
(The Nazi Klan will look like saints)
The plan's well underway, those who crossed me will see fewer days
(The plan's well underway, those who crossed me are cursed)
You're wastable to me; you're roadkill in the street
(Just you wait, you will see fewer days)
You're so wastable to me, like the roadkill in the street; you made a big mistake
(Satan)
So just you fucking wait
(Satan)
Blood on the walls; blood on the walls
(Satan; Satan)
Dear friends, goodbye, needlessly you fuck with me; now you're gonna die
Blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls
(Satan; Satan; Satan; Satan)
Falling, falling, falling into my seventh life
My father rode a motorcycle naked in the rain
Mother, a flower girl, blonde and 18
Three long days in the Colorado jail
Seven months pregnant, on the western trail
She met El in San Francisco, so it goes
(She met El in San Francisco, yeah so it goes)
Elwyn was out of his head, speed up his nose
Mother met a second man, by chance
She remembered from a hometown high school dance
The night they got to fighting, man's arms, they let me fall
My head hit the concrete floor, I didn't move at all
My mom hysterical, thinking I was dead
She ran into the street, scared out of her head
I watched the stars in the heavens for a while
Then I came around for good, but not with a smile
Moved home to the valley where the hippies conspire
Even my grandma loved to get high
My father dosed liquid LSD
Fried his mind for years to come, look what it's done to me
The breakup ensued, I held my baby brother's hand
I held my baby brother's hand
The nights that followed, footsteps could be heard
(The nights that followed in the house, footsteps could be heard)
No one on the second floor accept spirits I have learned
Mom and her best friend said, "It's time to go"
To Aroyo Hondo, New Mexico
Adobe huts, I recall every gathering adobe
I was hungry in the desert; I wanted to go home
Morning I awoke; I was all alone
(But I walked outside I realized)
No one but a fucking geek to share the dusty home
(No one was there; I thought I would die)
As I walked outside I realized
(Time stood still; I watched the dome)
No one was there; I thought I would die
(Then the bug came back, tears in my throat)
Time stood still as I watched the goat
(Next thing I knew I was in public school)
The nurse of a new bug came back; tears in my throat
(It wasn't much, but it followed the rules)
Next thing I knew I was in public school
(Sat alone; stood alone)
It wasn't much, but it followed the rules
(Tried my best to understand my broken home)
Sat alone; stood alone
(I got to watch my poor mother cry)
Tried to understand my broken home
(Empty, exposed to all she felt inside)
I got to watch my poor mother cry
(And then I hear these hippies philosophize)
Empty, exposed to all she felt inside
And hear these hippies philosophize
And dreaming of the commune in the sky
(Too many changing partners at different times
Brothers and sisters, don't get too close
And dreaming of the commune in the sky
And mother waves him goodbye, so I'm left here on my puzzle with nobody's help)
Boycott society, then the kids can't socialize
(My faith is my strength, living in hell)
We had a cat named "Hope" and soon it died
(Thinking about our locks too thin, wondering if I'm at all like him)
There were nervous breakdowns every day, numerous crises games
(Before the flood, before the flood, of blood, I'm dead serious, you just you wait)
Parents like to play, too many changing partners
(The Nazi Klan looked like 6)
At different times
(The plan is well underway)
Brothers and sisters, don't get too close
(Those who crossed me are cursed, will see fewer days)
Another routine goodbye
(You'll listen to me; let's kill in the street)
So I'm workin' on my puzzle with nobody's help
(You made a big mistake so just you fuckin', livin in hell, El)
My faith is my strength because I'm living in hell, thinkin' about hell,
Locked in the bin, wondering if I'm at all like him
Before the flood, before the flood of blood
I'm dead serious, so just you wait
The Manson Klan will look like saints
(The Nazi Klan will look like saints)
The plan's well underway, those who crossed me will see fewer days
(The plan's well underway, those who crossed me are cursed)
You're wastable to me; you're roadkill in the street
(Just you wait, you will see fewer days)
You're so wastable to me, like the roadkill in the street; you made a big mistake
(Satan)
So just you fucking wait
(Satan)
Blood on the walls; blood on the walls
(Satan; Satan)
Dear friends, goodbye, needlessly you fuck with me; now you're gonna die
Blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls; blood on the walls
(Satan; Satan; Satan; Satan)
Lyrics submitted by IBOPA
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Fast Car
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Pretty self-explanatory, and knowing Eric Gaffney, it's probably all true. My favorite lines are "My father dosed liquid LSD" and "Even my Grandma loves to get high!" Once again, probably all true stories from the life of Eric Gaffney.
"and knowing Eric Gaffney, it's probably all true." Haha!