"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.
I should have known
That you would be somebody
Who would take me back to school
Everything I've known
Is suddenly in question
When I start to share it with you
I should have seen
That you would be the kind of girl
Who'd make my mind up for me
Everything I've thought
Is making no sense to me
When I started to see it your way
When I started to see it your way
Are you breaking me down
Or are you making me more then I am
Are you breaking me down
Or are you building me up to your plans?
I can't get along without you
But girl you make it hard to
Live my life in peace when
I'm so damn busy changing
I can't get along without you
But girl you make it hard to
Live my life in peace when
I'm so damn busy changing
I should have known
That you would be somebody
Who would take me back to school
Everything I've known
Suddenly in question
And I start to share it with you
I should have seen
That you would be the kind of girl
Who'd make my mind up for me
Everything i thought
Is making no sense to me
When I started to see it your way
When I started to see it your way
Are you breaking me down
Or are you making me more then I am
Are you breaking me down
Or are you building me up to your plungs
I can't get along without you
But girl you make it hard to
Live my life in peace when
I'm so damn busy changing
I can't get along without you
But girl you make it hard to
Live my life in peace when
I'm so damn busy changing
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
That you would be somebody
Who would take me back to school
Everything I've known
Is suddenly in question
When I start to share it with you
I should have seen
That you would be the kind of girl
Who'd make my mind up for me
Everything I've thought
Is making no sense to me
When I started to see it your way
When I started to see it your way
Are you breaking me down
Or are you making me more then I am
Are you breaking me down
Or are you building me up to your plans?
I can't get along without you
But girl you make it hard to
Live my life in peace when
I'm so damn busy changing
I can't get along without you
But girl you make it hard to
Live my life in peace when
I'm so damn busy changing
I should have known
That you would be somebody
Who would take me back to school
Everything I've known
Suddenly in question
And I start to share it with you
I should have seen
That you would be the kind of girl
Who'd make my mind up for me
Everything i thought
Is making no sense to me
When I started to see it your way
When I started to see it your way
Are you breaking me down
Or are you making me more then I am
Are you breaking me down
Or are you building me up to your plungs
I can't get along without you
But girl you make it hard to
Live my life in peace when
I'm so damn busy changing
I can't get along without you
But girl you make it hard to
Live my life in peace when
I'm so damn busy changing
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Lyrics submitted by MDMaster
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
Just come up on random. Interesting how taken out of the context of the rest of the album it sounds a lot better.
About someone in love with someone who is changing him. He's questioning if it's for his benefit or his, and to be honest he doesn't really care cause he can't live without her.