"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.
You gotta keep up
You gotta keep going
You gotta keep up
You gotta keep going
No you never let down
You gotta keep going
You gotta keep up
You gotta keep going
I went around the place where we once went before
But I never knew it hurt so bad, oh
I wandered back again, but you just slammed the door
I never knew it hurt so bad. oh
We were nothing but kids on top
Never gonna stop
We never let down
We gotta keep up
Keep our heads on high
Never gonna die
'Cause we gotta keep it alive
When you're down on your luck
You gotta do it
'Cause you can't get enough
You gotta do it
You never give up (No!)
You got to do it
Gotta do all the stuff that you love (no more turning)
When you're down on your luck
You gotta do it
And you're covered in mud
You gotta do it
You still going on (Yeah!)
You got to do it
Gotta do all the stuff that you love
You gotta keep up
You gotta keep going
You gotta keep up
You gotta keep going
No you never let down
You gotta keep going
We gotta keep up
We gotta keep going
But you left me down so many times and took me back
But I'll never turn around again
And now my life is back
I'm back on the track
And I'll never burn it down again, no
'Cause we were nothing but kids on top
Never gonna stop
We never let down
We gotta keep up
Keep our heads on high
Never gonna die
'Cause we gotta keep it alive
When you're down on your luck
You gotta do it
'Cause you can't get enough
You gotta do it
You never give up (No!)
You got to do it
You gotta do all the stuff that you love (no more turning)
When you're down on your luck
You gotta do it
And you're covered in mud
You gotta do it
You still go on (Yeah!)
You got to do it
Gotta do all the stuff that you love (no more turning)
When you're down on your luck
You gotta do it
'Cause you can't get enough (Yeah!)
You got to do it
You never give up (No!)
You got to do it
You gotta do all the stuff that you
Do all the stuff that you
Do all the stuff that you, love
You gotta keep going
You gotta keep up
You gotta keep going
No you never let down
You gotta keep going
You gotta keep up
You gotta keep going
I went around the place where we once went before
But I never knew it hurt so bad, oh
I wandered back again, but you just slammed the door
I never knew it hurt so bad. oh
We were nothing but kids on top
Never gonna stop
We never let down
We gotta keep up
Keep our heads on high
Never gonna die
'Cause we gotta keep it alive
When you're down on your luck
You gotta do it
'Cause you can't get enough
You gotta do it
You never give up (No!)
You got to do it
Gotta do all the stuff that you love (no more turning)
When you're down on your luck
You gotta do it
And you're covered in mud
You gotta do it
You still going on (Yeah!)
You got to do it
Gotta do all the stuff that you love
You gotta keep up
You gotta keep going
You gotta keep up
You gotta keep going
No you never let down
You gotta keep going
We gotta keep up
We gotta keep going
But you left me down so many times and took me back
But I'll never turn around again
And now my life is back
I'm back on the track
And I'll never burn it down again, no
'Cause we were nothing but kids on top
Never gonna stop
We never let down
We gotta keep up
Keep our heads on high
Never gonna die
'Cause we gotta keep it alive
When you're down on your luck
You gotta do it
'Cause you can't get enough
You gotta do it
You never give up (No!)
You got to do it
You gotta do all the stuff that you love (no more turning)
When you're down on your luck
You gotta do it
And you're covered in mud
You gotta do it
You still go on (Yeah!)
You got to do it
Gotta do all the stuff that you love (no more turning)
When you're down on your luck
You gotta do it
'Cause you can't get enough (Yeah!)
You got to do it
You never give up (No!)
You got to do it
You gotta do all the stuff that you
Do all the stuff that you
Do all the stuff that you, love
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
What i get from this is a kinda like a tribute to his young fans. I see it as a song saying don't do something stupid like commit suicide. If your down, you gotta do all the stuff that you love.
eric