"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.
Get tough now
Come away for the S
The S one W
Brothers and sisters
Come away for the S
The S one W
On time cause he busta rhymes a hard rhymer
On time cause he busta rhymes a hard rhymer
It's the flavor, it's the flavor, it's the flavor
Life saver
It's the flavor, it's the flavor, it's the flavor
Life saver
Get back cause he whacks the trackq terminator
Get back cause he whacks the tracks terminator
1989 the number another summer (get down)
Sound of the funky drummer
Music hittin' your heart cause I know you got soul
(Brothers and sisters, hey)
Listen if you're missin' why'all
Swingin' while I'm singin'
Givin' whatcha gettin'
Knowin' what I know
While the Black bands sweatin'
And the rhythm rhymes rollin'
Got to give us what we want
Gotta give us what we need
Our freedom of speech is freedom or death
We got to fight the powers that be
Chorus:
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
We've got to fight the powers that be
As the rhythm designed to bounce
What counts is that the rhymes
Designed to fill your mind
Now that you've realized the prides arrived
We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart
It's A start, a work of art
To revolutionize make a change nothin's strange
People, people we are the same
No we're not the same
Cause we don't know the game
What we need is awareness, we can't get careless
You say what is this?
My beloved lets get down to business
Mental self defensive fitness
(Yo) bum rush the show
You gotta go�for what you know
Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be
Lemme hear you say...
Fight the Power
[Chorus:]
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
We've got to fight the powers that be
Elvis was a hero to most
Buddy Elvis was a hero to most
Buddy Ebsen was a hero to most
Buddy Rich was a hero to most
Buddy Hackett was a hero to most
Nutty Buddy was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you
See I'm straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
____________ and John Wayne
Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps
Sample a look back you look and find
Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check
Don't worry be happy
Was a number one jam
Damn if I say it you can slap me right here
(Get it) lets get this party started right
Right on, see'mon
What we got to say
Power to the people no delay
To make everybody see
In order to fight the powers that be
(Fight the Power)
Come away for the S
The S one W
Brothers and sisters
Come away for the S
The S one W
On time cause he busta rhymes a hard rhymer
On time cause he busta rhymes a hard rhymer
It's the flavor, it's the flavor, it's the flavor
Life saver
It's the flavor, it's the flavor, it's the flavor
Life saver
Get back cause he whacks the trackq terminator
Get back cause he whacks the tracks terminator
1989 the number another summer (get down)
Sound of the funky drummer
Music hittin' your heart cause I know you got soul
(Brothers and sisters, hey)
Listen if you're missin' why'all
Swingin' while I'm singin'
Givin' whatcha gettin'
Knowin' what I know
While the Black bands sweatin'
And the rhythm rhymes rollin'
Got to give us what we want
Gotta give us what we need
Our freedom of speech is freedom or death
We got to fight the powers that be
Chorus:
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
We've got to fight the powers that be
As the rhythm designed to bounce
What counts is that the rhymes
Designed to fill your mind
Now that you've realized the prides arrived
We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart
It's A start, a work of art
To revolutionize make a change nothin's strange
People, people we are the same
No we're not the same
Cause we don't know the game
What we need is awareness, we can't get careless
You say what is this?
My beloved lets get down to business
Mental self defensive fitness
(Yo) bum rush the show
You gotta go�for what you know
Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be
Lemme hear you say...
Fight the Power
[Chorus:]
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
We've got to fight the powers that be
Elvis was a hero to most
Buddy Elvis was a hero to most
Buddy Ebsen was a hero to most
Buddy Rich was a hero to most
Buddy Hackett was a hero to most
Nutty Buddy was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you
See I'm straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
____________ and John Wayne
Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps
Sample a look back you look and find
Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check
Don't worry be happy
Was a number one jam
Damn if I say it you can slap me right here
(Get it) lets get this party started right
Right on, see'mon
What we got to say
Power to the people no delay
To make everybody see
In order to fight the powers that be
(Fight the Power)
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,
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Public Enemy wrote this song when rap was just becoming popular. It was written about black-empowerment by them.
The Ladies just decided it would be hilarious for a bunch of white guys to do a song about black-empowerment. I agree. Steve singing "I'm black and I'm proud" is so funny.
The idea of Barenaked Ladies doing a cover of "Fight The Power" fills me with joy.
posted by me :-) well this song is obviously about racism, etc. don't be racist!!!!!!