"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.
Swinging fast, you attack, slow down my defense
All a blur, I was sure this is how it ends
Hit the mat on my back, that was it for me
Stinging sweat, out of breath, begging for relief
Wish I knew you were through, I'd protect myself
But now I'm down, bleeding out, begging for the bell
You bob and weave, lie and cheat to get me in the ring
In defeat I can see clearly everything
You hit me in the glass jaw
I never saw the hit at all
You hit me in the glass jaw
Whoa, whoa
You smashed me in a million pieces
I'm broken and beaten, please just leave me alone
You smashed me in a million pieces
I know you don't mean this, please just leave me alone
I'm shattered
You'd never put me back together
I'm shattered
You'd never gonna get me back
What you did could've been the very best for me
But instead in the end it was the worst thing
You could see I was weak, yeah, I should have known
But I was wrong, you were gone, now I'm all alone
You hit me in the glass jaw
I never saw the hit at all
You hit me in the glass jaw
Whoa, whoa
You smashed me in a million pieces
I'm broken and beaten, please just leave me alone
You smashed me in a million pieces
I know you don't mean this, please just leave me alone
I'm shattered
You'd never put me back together
I'm shattered
You'd never gonna get me back
Love was not my friend
Knocked me down again
The battle's done, bell is rung, yeah, you beat me good
I could probably hug it out like a fighter should
But instead I use my head and I walk away
So in the end I can stand to fight another day
You smashed me in a million pieces
I'm broken and beaten, please just leave me alone
You smashed me in a million pieces
You know I don't need this, please just leave me
You smashed me in a million pieces
I'm broken and beaten, please just leave me alone
You smashed me in a million pieces
I know you don't need this, please just leave me alone
I'm shattered
You'd never put me back together
I'm shattered
You'd never gonna get me back
I'm shattered
You'd never put me back together
I'm shattered
You'd never gonna get me back
Lyrics submitted by EternalTearsOfSorrow
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