"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.
When you dove, drunk with sleep in your eyes
You stole what was left of the sky,
I remember how you freed your hair,
Hung your head in a forgotten stare
And I thought, and I thought
When will the water stop, will it pour all day?
When will the water stop?
I know that you can't say.
Turning to fall out of our lives,
Spinning pictures: blue screams and red kisses,
You sank into yourself and I got lost somewhere in between
When will the water stop, will it pour all day?
When will the water stop?
I know that you can't say.
She is washed up on his shore,
There's no time to get into his life,
She is washed up on his shore,
There's no time to get into his life.
You stole what was left of the sky,
I remember how you freed your hair,
Hung your head in a forgotten stare
And I thought, and I thought
When will the water stop, will it pour all day?
When will the water stop?
I know that you can't say.
Turning to fall out of our lives,
Spinning pictures: blue screams and red kisses,
You sank into yourself and I got lost somewhere in between
When will the water stop, will it pour all day?
When will the water stop?
I know that you can't say.
She is washed up on his shore,
There's no time to get into his life,
She is washed up on his shore,
There's no time to get into his life.
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
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.
seems a bit like depression to me, like the water is her crying and he wants to know when she'll stop but he also knows she cant control it so she cant stop. also thought it kinda repressents rain, cos people get sad when it rains, and hes wondering how long she'll stay sad. 'you sank into yourself and i got lost somewhere inbetween' like she can only sit and be sad and he wanted to help her but hes got lost because he cant do anything, and he loves her so he cant leave. and the last bit i think hes talking about himself, she got involved with him 'wahsed up on his shore' but because of her state of mind she cant think about him or care about him cos shes too overwhelmed with her own unhappiness. just my thought.