"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.
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
Gotta make it to Heaven, gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I hope I make it to Heaven
Some say I'm paranoid, I say I'm careful how I choose my friends
Been to ICU once I ain't goin' again
First Z got murked, then Roy got murked
And homie still in the hood, why he ain't gettin' hurt?
I smell somethin' fishy, man, it might be a rat
Damn, niggas switchin' sides on niggas just like that
You know me, I stay wit' a bitch on her knees
And give guns away in the hood like government cheese
Spray on Suzuki's, eleven-hundred CC's
No plate on the back, straight squeezin' the MAC
In the hood they identify niggas by they cars
So I switch up whips to stay off the radar
I ain't gotta be around to make shit hot
I send Yayo to dump thirty shots on ya block
'Cause he spray that TEC, nigga, if I say get it done
I'll make ya wack niggas if you 'round me, son
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven I hope I make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I hope I make it to Heaven
When I come through the hood, I don't stop to rap to niggas (yeah)
Get close enough to smack, get it clap ya, nigga
Pop tried to front so I waved the chrome on his ass
Point blank range, I spazzed, pulled a bone on his ass
Two weeks later niggas came through with MACs to lay me down
Then sprayed, I played dead and got the fuck off the ground
Out the blue I get a phone call, "50, what up?"
"They sent a bitch at me, I sent the bitch back cut up"
I don't play that pussy shit, I done told you, boy
Front on me, you gon' meet one of my soldiers, boy
Cousin Twin shot up his mama crib now he in jail
Trippin' off flicks of Blu Catrell, pussy and black tail
Pop mama moved, but she don't talk to him no more
The shells from Twin's .44, blew the hinge off her door
Without that check every month how she gon' pay for the crib?
Man, social service finna come and take them kids
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven I hope I make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I hope I make it to Heaven
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change
The courage to change the things I can, the wisdom to know the difference
In AA they make you say that
That's the prayer they burn in your head when you in CASAT
Man, I might talk to you while we up in them pens (uh-huh)
But when we come home, that don't mean we gon' fuckin' be friends
The shells smash ya head close enough to hear 'em whistle
Thank God they missed you, and go grab ya pistol
In the hood niggas runnin' round actin' crazy
Buyin' little Air Jordans for maybe babies
See it might be his and it might be yours
'Cause them broads in the projects is straight up whores (haha)
Man, it don't take much for you to get in them draws (uh-huh)
You ain't can have 'em on they back or on all fours
You ain't got to tell me, you feelin' this shit
'Cause I hear what I'm sayin', I know I'm killin' this shit
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven I hope I make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I hope I make it to Heaven
Gotta make it to Heaven, gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I hope I make it to Heaven
Some say I'm paranoid, I say I'm careful how I choose my friends
Been to ICU once I ain't goin' again
First Z got murked, then Roy got murked
And homie still in the hood, why he ain't gettin' hurt?
I smell somethin' fishy, man, it might be a rat
Damn, niggas switchin' sides on niggas just like that
You know me, I stay wit' a bitch on her knees
And give guns away in the hood like government cheese
Spray on Suzuki's, eleven-hundred CC's
No plate on the back, straight squeezin' the MAC
In the hood they identify niggas by they cars
So I switch up whips to stay off the radar
I ain't gotta be around to make shit hot
I send Yayo to dump thirty shots on ya block
'Cause he spray that TEC, nigga, if I say get it done
I'll make ya wack niggas if you 'round me, son
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven I hope I make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I hope I make it to Heaven
When I come through the hood, I don't stop to rap to niggas (yeah)
Get close enough to smack, get it clap ya, nigga
Pop tried to front so I waved the chrome on his ass
Point blank range, I spazzed, pulled a bone on his ass
Two weeks later niggas came through with MACs to lay me down
Then sprayed, I played dead and got the fuck off the ground
Out the blue I get a phone call, "50, what up?"
"They sent a bitch at me, I sent the bitch back cut up"
I don't play that pussy shit, I done told you, boy
Front on me, you gon' meet one of my soldiers, boy
Cousin Twin shot up his mama crib now he in jail
Trippin' off flicks of Blu Catrell, pussy and black tail
Pop mama moved, but she don't talk to him no more
The shells from Twin's .44, blew the hinge off her door
Without that check every month how she gon' pay for the crib?
Man, social service finna come and take them kids
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven I hope I make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I hope I make it to Heaven
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change
The courage to change the things I can, the wisdom to know the difference
In AA they make you say that
That's the prayer they burn in your head when you in CASAT
Man, I might talk to you while we up in them pens (uh-huh)
But when we come home, that don't mean we gon' fuckin' be friends
The shells smash ya head close enough to hear 'em whistle
Thank God they missed you, and go grab ya pistol
In the hood niggas runnin' round actin' crazy
Buyin' little Air Jordans for maybe babies
See it might be his and it might be yours
'Cause them broads in the projects is straight up whores (haha)
Man, it don't take much for you to get in them draws (uh-huh)
You ain't can have 'em on they back or on all fours
You ain't got to tell me, you feelin' this shit
'Cause I hear what I'm sayin', I know I'm killin' this shit
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven I hope I make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I gotta make it to Heaven
I gotta make it to Heaven, for goin' through Hell
I gotta make it to Heaven, I hope I make it to Heaven
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
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."
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
you dont make songs about guns and think youll ever get into heaven. cos then youre either a fake or a killer. a bitch overall. good job 50