"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.
From your chair, my narrative tonight
As your dickless cousin, brother, father, pet, friend, husband or wife
A lavender scent
A bone-orchard of hearts seems to surround you as you stare
Each gift horse straight in the mouth
Stare my arrow down
I was invited, I was called out
To watch you frolic and dance
Oh I buried my head in my hands
I buried my heart there in the sand
I was cocked, blocked, cured, encharmed
I was ferociously put upon until it was clear
I should not keep on
I'll just creep on creepin' on
Yes, I will, I'll not keep on
I'll just creep on creepin' on
Fell at this station to levitate your bed
And move her hair onto my chest
Exposing her neck and I tear through
Or to put it into my arms
And my stomach dropped
As you shifted me off to stop
The ectoplasm coiled like a hovering halo of smoke
And our beloved invention
Is conjured each night in your throat
Oh I buried my head in my hands
I buried my heart there in the sand
I was cocked, blocked, cured, encharmed
I was ferociously put upon until it was clear
I should not keep on
I'll just creep on creepin' on
Yes, I will, I'll not keep on
I'll just creep on creepin' on
Or do I try one more time?
No, I'll not keep on
I'll just creep on creepin' on
As your dickless cousin, brother, father, pet, friend, husband or wife
A lavender scent
A bone-orchard of hearts seems to surround you as you stare
Each gift horse straight in the mouth
Stare my arrow down
I was invited, I was called out
To watch you frolic and dance
Oh I buried my head in my hands
I buried my heart there in the sand
I was cocked, blocked, cured, encharmed
I was ferociously put upon until it was clear
I should not keep on
I'll just creep on creepin' on
Yes, I will, I'll not keep on
I'll just creep on creepin' on
Fell at this station to levitate your bed
And move her hair onto my chest
Exposing her neck and I tear through
Or to put it into my arms
And my stomach dropped
As you shifted me off to stop
The ectoplasm coiled like a hovering halo of smoke
And our beloved invention
Is conjured each night in your throat
Oh I buried my head in my hands
I buried my heart there in the sand
I was cocked, blocked, cured, encharmed
I was ferociously put upon until it was clear
I should not keep on
I'll just creep on creepin' on
Yes, I will, I'll not keep on
I'll just creep on creepin' on
Or do I try one more time?
No, I'll not keep on
I'll just creep on creepin' on
Lyrics submitted by maybenotwithwords
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I'm not completely sure, but all the lyrics add up to this being about The Exorcist, or at least demonic possession in general: the levitating bed, the ectoplasm, the profanity . . .
@Starwatcher23 its definetly about possession. Lol...I think it's just about an evil woman...like a horrible woman who knows he loves her but fucks with his head for no reason other than it feeding her ego