"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.
Oh no, here it comes again
Can't remember when we came so close to love before
Hold on good things never last
Nothing's in the past
It always seems to come again
Again and again
Again and again, again
Cry out to legions of the brave
Time again to save us from the jackals of the street
Ride out protect us of the realm
Captians at the helm
And sail across the sea of lights
Circles and rings, dragons and kings
Weaving a charm and a spell
Blessed by the night, holy and right
Called by the toll of the bell
Bloody angels fast descending
Moving on a never bending light
Phantom figures free forever
Out of shadows shinning ever bright
Neon knights, neon knights, all right
Neon knights, neon knights
Neon knights, neon knights
Can't remember when we came so close to love before
Hold on good things never last
Nothing's in the past
It always seems to come again
Again and again
Again and again, again
Cry out to legions of the brave
Time again to save us from the jackals of the street
Ride out protect us of the realm
Captians at the helm
And sail across the sea of lights
Circles and rings, dragons and kings
Weaving a charm and a spell
Blessed by the night, holy and right
Called by the toll of the bell
Bloody angels fast descending
Moving on a never bending light
Phantom figures free forever
Out of shadows shinning ever bright
Neon knights, neon knights, all right
Neon knights, neon knights
Neon knights, neon knights
Lyrics submitted by Novartza
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
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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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.
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.
Dio underrated, Ozzy overrated. This is Sab's #2 song after only Paranoid.
Ronnie James Dio and Black Sabbath...a dream come true!! A truly amazing and powerful song.
RJD was an amazing singer. May he R.I.P.
this song matches perfectly to neon genesis evangelion
this is an awesome song and all 3 lead singers were good but yes ozzy was the best then dio and ian gillian
@HeavyMetalRocker What about Tony Martin?!
I Like Dio better then Ozzy to tell the Truth. To me Ozzy is just a sell now. After what happned at Ozzfest 2005 just proves that his wife runs his carrer.
Metallic Dude check out holy diver and read this comment by this guy on the second page I think it's funny.
@LordOfLight Ozzy's voice is Black Sabbath. Dio is the same. Two of the best voices in Rock and Roll, Metal, whatever.
@LordOfLight To be fair, Sharon has officially been Ozzy's manager for years.
I wonder if Robert Jordan was inspired by this song? The song's description of time and its references of a dragon, a weave and the Shadow reminds me of the Wheel of Time books.
I wonder if Robert Jordan was inspired by this song? The song's description of time and its references of a dragon, a weave and the Shadow reminds me of the Wheel of Time books.
the comment about Dio's songs meaning nothing is ABSURD -
this song is the punch to Heaven & Hell - Dio's whole message and especially in this song is that we are neither and we are both - we are evil and we are divine - we are heaven and we are hell - it's a circle - a ring - it's INFINITE - it is the question of the egg and the chicken... nothings in the past - it comes again and again and again...
every stanza in the song suggest both entities:
legions of the brave - jackals of the streets protectors of the realm - acroos the sea of lights (river styx to hell) blessed by the night - toll of the bell bloodied angels fast descending - all in one line - maybe the greatest lyric ever written
this is about the infinite question - and Dio is replying that we are both -
Dio was a million times more creative than Ozzy could have dreamed of being - the Heaven & Hell tour was a work of GENUIS - what Dio did was come in with just part of Heaven & Hell inbetween every couple of songs - and he would remind us that it "goes on and on and on and on and on... " every couple of songs he would do a single line or stanza of Heaven & Hell and then "it goes on and on" - until finally they closed with the entire song - sheer GENUIS - Dio is without doubt one of thee greatest metal writers of all time -
@southy Sorry wrong on all accounts Its ok it was a good attempt but not deep enough. Your correct heaven and hell is about pour dual nature but the song is telling the listener that you need start using the other side of your personality I will debate you all day on this one<br />
Okay I got to step in and tell you all the meaning of the song now that RJD is no longer with us, here it is. we humans fight the same war over and over. this time the humans almost reached perfection. Love but good things never last so we are at it again the world has been corrupted my the dragons and kings Dragons being off planet and Kings being world government. these entities have placed propaganda and media manipulation on the population. circles and rings are symbols made to manipulate the humans to just be shadows inslaved. so , the world out of control a bell is rung and angels from the heavens come down to save them the angels in the same battle above hence the bloodied angles. the phantom figures are the human no longer under mind control are free to shine ever bright ./ the Angles are depicted on the cover since they are human and hevenly. the last verse he a cheer for the Neon Knights. feel free to comment but I am right on this one
@gearbear10 entranced by the song, not having full understanding of the exact meaning implied by RJD, i have searched for interviews, information on it. So here, or anywhere, i find -only- your interpretation seems worthy, or reflecting anything that i believe could be the profound meaning of this, by this writer. At the risk of sounding rude-not my intent-at all- I would really like to know how you are so sure of your interpretation?
@gearbear10 ........let's just say the entire album is a theme of the phoenicians that control our realm.<br /> Children of the sea is Phoenician to the max.<br /> I find it unreasonable that these songs were not written by these very Phoenicians. " We sailed across the air before we learned to fly"...phoenician air ships....<br /> The list goes on throughout the album.