"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.
High velocity bullet at close range
Can damage the mind
Shattering the skull, shredding the brain
Severing the spine
Bury a round of lead in the chest
It's quite an impression
Imagine the innards of your soul
The infliction
Instinctive regression
With intent to kill
No regard of human life
Or the blood spilled
Riddled convulsions
Confetti of flesh
Scattered helplessly
Losing your control of physical facilities
Release the slide to cleanse inside
Prepare to anoint
Snap the tongue in the groove discharge
To make my hallowed point
Instinctive regression
With intent to kill
No regard of human life
Or the blood spilled
The power of a gun
Used with conviction
Dispersed on excursions
Randomly kills its victims
My sweet revenge
Bitter in depression
The thrilling release
Of a hatred deep persuasion
The power of a gun
Used with conviction
Diffused compulsions
Unending repercussions
Violent emotion
Screaming revolution
Spasmic convulsions
Death an empty gun
Can damage the mind
Shattering the skull, shredding the brain
Severing the spine
Bury a round of lead in the chest
It's quite an impression
Imagine the innards of your soul
The infliction
Instinctive regression
With intent to kill
No regard of human life
Or the blood spilled
Riddled convulsions
Confetti of flesh
Scattered helplessly
Losing your control of physical facilities
Release the slide to cleanse inside
Prepare to anoint
Snap the tongue in the groove discharge
To make my hallowed point
Instinctive regression
With intent to kill
No regard of human life
Or the blood spilled
The power of a gun
Used with conviction
Dispersed on excursions
Randomly kills its victims
My sweet revenge
Bitter in depression
The thrilling release
Of a hatred deep persuasion
The power of a gun
Used with conviction
Diffused compulsions
Unending repercussions
Violent emotion
Screaming revolution
Spasmic convulsions
Death an empty gun
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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.
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Slayer likes to reference WWII in their lyrics. However, here I believe it may be Vietnam as "body count's the bottom line" is the only way they could gauge victory in Vietnam guerrilla warfare.