"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.
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.
so all of a sudden I'm facing a
raging river that passed me by
do I turn around, do I turn my eye
to the sun in the apex of the high high noon
I'm on a flatbed yellow pick up
underneath a half moon
cut me cut me some slack jack and jump in
the back if you can't handle the candle
then you can't handle the wax
you're just going to get sacked
it's as simple as that
but before I know it
I'm going down this itty bitty river in
a boat a little bigger
than a bath tub
my bones begin to shiver
'cause I'm aching to deliver
this water that I must give her
can I get some
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.
I think i heard you yeah
down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train
down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train
she was a black-tie bomb shell
out of Bombay
she was easy on the eyes
so I had nothing' to say
she said take the water to the
leprechaun man you got till the bell
rings three, do you understand
a little piece of me wants to go
I don't know
turn around what do ya do
I don't know
look at me and what do ya do
i don't know
ding dong ding that's the bell
and I know you know I know
I don't know you very well
but if I did, I would proove
and hit the ground running
but I don't and I won't
so you got another thing coming
he kicked up the river
with a flick of his wrist
I popped him in the kisser
'cause I couldn't resist
I said to my side kick
I'm up to my high wick
and now I'm getting a little homesick
but before I know it
I'm going down this itty bitty river
in a boat a little bigger
than a bath tub
my bones begin to shiver
'cause I'm aching to deliver
this water that I must giver her
can I get some
before I know it
I'm going down this itty bitty river
in a boat a little bigger
than a bath tub
my bones begin to shiver
'cause I'm aching to deliver
this water that I must giver her
can I get some
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.
I think I heard you yeah
down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train
down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train
Driving, driving i said now
driving, driving i said now
driving, driving
you got to drive your train.
Riding, riding i said now
riding, riding i said now
riding, riding
you got to ride your train.
yeah yeah
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.
so all of a sudden I'm facing a
raging river that passed me by
do I turn around, do I turn my eye
to the sun in the apex of the high high noon
I'm on a flatbed yellow pick up
underneath a half moon
cut me cut me some slack jack and jump in
the back if you can't handle the candle
then you can't handle the wax
you're just going to get sacked
it's as simple as that
but before I know it
I'm going down this itty bitty river in
a boat a little bigger
than a bath tub
my bones begin to shiver
'cause I'm aching to deliver
this water that I must give her
can I get some
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.
I think i heard you yeah
down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train
down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train
she was a black-tie bomb shell
out of Bombay
she was easy on the eyes
so I had nothing' to say
she said take the water to the
leprechaun man you got till the bell
rings three, do you understand
a little piece of me wants to go
I don't know
turn around what do ya do
I don't know
look at me and what do ya do
i don't know
ding dong ding that's the bell
and I know you know I know
I don't know you very well
but if I did, I would proove
and hit the ground running
but I don't and I won't
so you got another thing coming
he kicked up the river
with a flick of his wrist
I popped him in the kisser
'cause I couldn't resist
I said to my side kick
I'm up to my high wick
and now I'm getting a little homesick
but before I know it
I'm going down this itty bitty river
in a boat a little bigger
than a bath tub
my bones begin to shiver
'cause I'm aching to deliver
this water that I must giver her
can I get some
before I know it
I'm going down this itty bitty river
in a boat a little bigger
than a bath tub
my bones begin to shiver
'cause I'm aching to deliver
this water that I must giver her
can I get some
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.
I think I heard you yeah
down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train
down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train
Driving, driving i said now
driving, driving i said now
driving, driving
you got to drive your train.
Riding, riding i said now
riding, riding i said now
riding, riding
you got to ride your train.
yeah yeah
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.
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,
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
i agree with dungeon411. It's a boy!