"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.
Who got the hooch
Who got the hooch
Who got the only sweetest thing in the world
The working day was long
And the road is grinding on
And your body's winding down again
The tribal fire's here
And the circle speaks so near
And the simple truth so very much clearer
Who got the hooch, baby
Who got the only sweetest thing in the world
Who got the love, who got the fresh-e-freshy
Who got the only sweetest thing in the world
The birds and bees will sing
The jams begin to ring
The good vibes flow from me to you
The evening turns to night
The fire and moonlight
The dance of all who came before
Who got the hooch, baby
Who got the only sweetest thing in the world
Who got the love, who got the fresh-e-freshy
Who got the only sweetest thing in the world
Let's get real, let's get heavy
Till the water breaks the levee
Let's get loose, loose, who got the hooch
Who got the hooch
Who got the only sweetest thing in the world
The working day was long
And the road is grinding on
And your body's winding down again
The tribal fire's here
And the circle speaks so near
And the simple truth so very much clearer
Who got the hooch, baby
Who got the only sweetest thing in the world
Who got the love, who got the fresh-e-freshy
Who got the only sweetest thing in the world
The birds and bees will sing
The jams begin to ring
The good vibes flow from me to you
The evening turns to night
The fire and moonlight
The dance of all who came before
Who got the hooch, baby
Who got the only sweetest thing in the world
Who got the love, who got the fresh-e-freshy
Who got the only sweetest thing in the world
Let's get real, let's get heavy
Till the water breaks the levee
Let's get loose, loose, who got the hooch
Lyrics submitted by SuperWolfman
Hooch Lyrics as written by Ray Charles Ii Mccullough Kelis Rogers
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I agree with NiolK, that's how I've always interpreted it. "Who got the only sweetest thing in the world, baby baby" Sweetest thing in the world, I can only think of one thing.
This song is all about getting totally bombed, wasted, just drunk. hooch is alcohol and they want it to escape that hard day. the song is very listenable and kinda mellow. it's the kind of song that when it's stuck in my head all day, i really couldn't care.
@YellowFinchCard I always thought it meant weed. But yeah, "hooch" can also mean alky-hol!
It is both, offduty, you twit!!
basically its any kind of substance used.. hooch.. could be liquor could be bud anything
It's "who got the friendship friendship" not fresh-e-freshy
You are wrong donnarella. It is fresh-e freshy. FACT
This is the ultimate house party song. Period. It's so chill and mellow all you want to do is kick back and pound some beers or toke up. The dancing to it is great too because it's a slow grind which feels great.
C'mon "birds and bees will sing/the dance of all who came before/til the water breaks the levee/sweetest thing in the world" it's about p*ssy.
I say all of the above.
Its not about being fucked up, it about being down to get fucked up tonight. 'Til the water breaks loose Who got the hooch?" Whose down to get down till we all fall down?