"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.
When you're feeling low
Hypodermic's where you go
When you're with yourself
You wish you could be someone else
[Chorus]
Can't you see like you saw anymore
Can't you feel like you felt before
Can't you face anything anymore
When life's a waste
Run away
Your life's a waste
Run away
Once you get a ride
Doesn't matter where you lied
Once you shoot it in
Doesn't matter who you've been
You're reaching in but you don't know where to begin
All your dance and song won't matter when you're gone
Hypodermic's where you go
When you're with yourself
You wish you could be someone else
[Chorus]
Can't you see like you saw anymore
Can't you feel like you felt before
Can't you face anything anymore
When life's a waste
Run away
Your life's a waste
Run away
Once you get a ride
Doesn't matter where you lied
Once you shoot it in
Doesn't matter who you've been
You're reaching in but you don't know where to begin
All your dance and song won't matter when you're gone
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Fast Car
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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It's pretty much about how heroin ruins your life, and you're never the same after you do it: "Once you shoot it in, Doesn't matter who you've been"
Basically, what BD007h said. Like this part: "All your dance and song won't matter when you're gone"
Of course is talking about dying from drugs
I think this isn't necessarily dying from it, but rather using drugs... "When life's a waste, runaway" kind of like about how you can escape your problems by shooting up. And of course, it fucks you up.
I disagree, BD. I think they mean once "you" (a heroin addict) get a fix, nothing matters for a couple hours. They're not talking about a new user. And yes, they reference death in it, but the song's not just about death.
It doesn't necessarly mean heroin, probably does, but IV drug use in general. I used to be a heroin junkie then went to rehab but just puting anything into a needle is a very addictive habit. I used to put anything I could get in a a syringe and shoot it, pills, coke, meth, heroin mainly. I'm not trying to be fiddle about the drug, I just remember the needle as a place to run with whatever you got to try and escape. It a good song but stirs up bad memories for me but does have a realy good point about where shooting drugs gets you.
This song is about being an IV drug user. I realize that yes heroin was the most common when ignition came out... but realize this song fits now too with the widespread-ness of meth.
Uhm. As you clearly state, this song is on the Ignition album (1992). BEFORE meth was even a problem. I agree that this song is still 'actual' in today's fucked up drug-problem. But stick to the fucking case, it's about heroin. Not meth.