"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.
And now the end is near
So I face the final curtain
My friends, I'll say it clear
And state my case of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I've traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exception
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
I've loved, I've laughed and cried
Shed my tears, my share of losing
And now as tears subside
Find it all so confusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way
Oh, no, oh no, not me
I did it my way
For what is a man, what has he got
If not himself, then he has not
To show the world I'll stunt in heels
In others words I'm rolling on wheels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
So I face the final curtain
My friends, I'll say it clear
And state my case of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I've traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exception
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
I've loved, I've laughed and cried
Shed my tears, my share of losing
And now as tears subside
Find it all so confusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way
Oh, no, oh no, not me
I did it my way
For what is a man, what has he got
If not himself, then he has not
To show the world I'll stunt in heels
In others words I'm rolling on wheels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
Lyrics submitted by Psychedeliasmith
My Way Lyrics as written by Gilles Thibaut Claude Francois
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, The Administration MP, Inc., JEUNE MUSIQUE EDITIONS, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
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 love this song, and Robbie sings it well, although, obviously, it cannot live up to Frank Sinatra's version.
"For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught. To say the things he truly feels; And not the words of one who kneels. The record shows I took the blows - And did it my way!"
I love this verse!