"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.
Scene one
Curtain up
See the couple, coffee shop
Beatniks beating out beebop
Rainy day, skies are gray
But the couple feeling gay
Boy is laughing at her joke
Girl, embarrassed, takes a smoke
She should quit, yes she knows
But she's happy as she blows
Down the cafe, through the bar
Past the hippies and the jars
Of the bean that they drink
Everyday, every week
They should quit, coffee's bad
Makes you crazy, fucking mad
But they say in defense
With a pause for suspense
"It's the stuff of the gods
Sexy smart hot rods!
Roller coaster! Hurricanes!
Super-sonic jet planes!"
They should quit, yes they know
But where the hell would they go?
They're like me, in a bind
Don't you see?
Love ain't blind
I could make a habit out of you
Scene two
Same play
Same people
Different day
In a car with no top
No speed limits, no cops
Girl is driving, she's the queen
In control of this machine
She is talking much too loud
Excited by the sound
They are screaming, buzzing hard
Open road, super car
What they need is some speed
105 is the key
Life is short, so they say
Carpe diem, seize the day
Unlike me, in a bind
I don't get it, love ain't blind
I could make a habit out of you
Scene three
City streets
Buying shit, selling too
Need a fix or some food?
Or some sex? There's a whore
Looking beautiful but bored
Like to drink?
There's a bar
Need a lift?
Take my car
A stop for every whim
Your heart's desire lets you in
In this city, in this scene
At this party you are queen
You're addicted to the lights
To the sounds, to the sights
To the pleasure, to the pain
The hot nights, the cold rain
To the smoke, to the drink
To the buzz, don't think
To danger to the fear
To the speed, it's fifth gear
All the time, night or day
There is no choice, it's just the way
You should quit, yes you know
But where the hell would you go?
You're like me, in a bind
Now you see
Love ain't blind
I could make a habit out of you
Curtain up
See the couple, coffee shop
Beatniks beating out beebop
Rainy day, skies are gray
But the couple feeling gay
Boy is laughing at her joke
Girl, embarrassed, takes a smoke
She should quit, yes she knows
But she's happy as she blows
Down the cafe, through the bar
Past the hippies and the jars
Of the bean that they drink
Everyday, every week
They should quit, coffee's bad
Makes you crazy, fucking mad
But they say in defense
With a pause for suspense
"It's the stuff of the gods
Sexy smart hot rods!
Roller coaster! Hurricanes!
Super-sonic jet planes!"
They should quit, yes they know
But where the hell would they go?
They're like me, in a bind
Don't you see?
Love ain't blind
I could make a habit out of you
Scene two
Same play
Same people
Different day
In a car with no top
No speed limits, no cops
Girl is driving, she's the queen
In control of this machine
She is talking much too loud
Excited by the sound
They are screaming, buzzing hard
Open road, super car
What they need is some speed
105 is the key
Life is short, so they say
Carpe diem, seize the day
Unlike me, in a bind
I don't get it, love ain't blind
I could make a habit out of you
Scene three
City streets
Buying shit, selling too
Need a fix or some food?
Or some sex? There's a whore
Looking beautiful but bored
Like to drink?
There's a bar
Need a lift?
Take my car
A stop for every whim
Your heart's desire lets you in
In this city, in this scene
At this party you are queen
You're addicted to the lights
To the sounds, to the sights
To the pleasure, to the pain
The hot nights, the cold rain
To the smoke, to the drink
To the buzz, don't think
To danger to the fear
To the speed, it's fifth gear
All the time, night or day
There is no choice, it's just the way
You should quit, yes you know
But where the hell would you go?
You're like me, in a bind
Now you see
Love ain't blind
I could make a habit out of you
Lyrics submitted by Madame Me
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
i dont know if any of you guys have seen jump in concert but when Matt Bivins performs this song... it's amazing. He is such an awesome performer! This song makes me really happy. I love how it reads like a play, not many people today write like that. The last "scene" seems to explain an addicting drug or something. All of the things explain one if you look at they closely.
This song is about habits and addictions, presented in the form of a play in three acts. Smoking, coffee, driving fast (in convertibles!), shopping, sex, drinking... and of course, love. This is one of my personal favorites and Matt does an amazing job with it!
This is the song that made me fall in love with Jump, Little Children - I even married the friend who first played it for me! (Although, that was like, 8 years later...) "Habit" is great on the album, but seeing it live is an absolutely hypnotic experience. Matt Bivins keeps the audience in the palm of his hand everytime he sings, and that's most apparent with this song!