"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.
Born into money it's not a crime
You can fool the people all the time
Nine hundred dead in Jonestown
Rescued from a shopping mall
Heiress with a little girls soul
Do you think we'll make the papers?
And we're searching for your daughter
And we're searching for your daughter
On Saturday the childhood ends
Strange way to make new friends
She's lying in the basement
Black boy, white girl
Black girl with a blindfold
Which one will be your lover
And we're searching for your daughter
And we're searching for your daughter
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
Lock her up for sixty days
Change her hair, change her name
Smile for the camera
Friendships about trust
If we trust you then you're one of us
Live together, die for each other
And we're searching for your daughter
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
And we're searching for your daughter
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
Born into money it's not a crime
You can fool the people all the time
Nine hundred dead in jonestown
Get down, stay down
(put a bullet in your head)
It's only money
Smile for the camera
How could you not defend your honour?
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
And we think we've found your daughter
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
And we think we've found your daughter
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
You can fool the people all the time
Nine hundred dead in Jonestown
Rescued from a shopping mall
Heiress with a little girls soul
Do you think we'll make the papers?
And we're searching for your daughter
And we're searching for your daughter
On Saturday the childhood ends
Strange way to make new friends
She's lying in the basement
Black boy, white girl
Black girl with a blindfold
Which one will be your lover
And we're searching for your daughter
And we're searching for your daughter
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
Lock her up for sixty days
Change her hair, change her name
Smile for the camera
Friendships about trust
If we trust you then you're one of us
Live together, die for each other
And we're searching for your daughter
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
And we're searching for your daughter
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
Born into money it's not a crime
You can fool the people all the time
Nine hundred dead in jonestown
Get down, stay down
(put a bullet in your head)
It's only money
Smile for the camera
How could you not defend your honour?
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
And we think we've found your daughter
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
And we think we've found your daughter
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
(kidnapping an heiress)
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Probably about Patty Hearst...
[cool song.]
This song is about Patty Hearst and Jonestown -- how they are tied together is described in the following link (which is a news transcript): jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/Tapes/Tapes/TapeTranscripts/Q633.html
Jonestown was a communal/religious settlement in Guyana in which 900 people committed mass murder-suicide following their leader, Jim Jones. Hence, the lines "900 dead in Jonestown," "get down, stay down, put a bullet in your head," "live together, die for each other."
Yeah, I'm not sure, though, where the kidnapped heiress comes in...