"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.
Hand out the window
Floatin' on air
Just a flip of the wrist
And I am wavin' you goodbye
Drive past the lifeguard stand
Where I sit around waiting for you to remember
As I drive
How the girls could turn to ghosts before your eyes
And the very dreams that led to them are keeping them from dying
And how the grace with which she walked into your life
Will stay with you in your steps
And pace with you a while
So long, so long
So long, so long
The speaker in this door is blown
So nothing sounds quite right
Takin' my time, takin' this drive, wavin' this town goodbye
And I drive this ocean road and remember
The small of your back
And the nape of your neck
I remember everything as I drive, wavin' this town goodbye
How the girls can turn to ghosts before your eyes
And the very dreams that led to them are keeping them from dying
And how the grace with which she walked into your life
Will stay with you in your steps
Pace with you a while
So long, so long
So long, so long
So long, so long
So long, so long...
And I will leave under the cover
Of summer's kiss upon the sky
Like the stone face of your lover
Just before she says goodbye
I was certain that the season could be held between my arms
Well just as summer's hold is fleeting
I was here but now I'm gone...
I'm gone, I'm gone, I'm gone...
Floatin' on air
Just a flip of the wrist
And I am wavin' you goodbye
Drive past the lifeguard stand
Where I sit around waiting for you to remember
As I drive
How the girls could turn to ghosts before your eyes
And the very dreams that led to them are keeping them from dying
And how the grace with which she walked into your life
Will stay with you in your steps
And pace with you a while
So long, so long
So long, so long
The speaker in this door is blown
So nothing sounds quite right
Takin' my time, takin' this drive, wavin' this town goodbye
And I drive this ocean road and remember
The small of your back
And the nape of your neck
I remember everything as I drive, wavin' this town goodbye
How the girls can turn to ghosts before your eyes
And the very dreams that led to them are keeping them from dying
And how the grace with which she walked into your life
Will stay with you in your steps
Pace with you a while
So long, so long
So long, so long
So long, so long
So long, so long...
And I will leave under the cover
Of summer's kiss upon the sky
Like the stone face of your lover
Just before she says goodbye
I was certain that the season could be held between my arms
Well just as summer's hold is fleeting
I was here but now I'm gone...
I'm gone, I'm gone, I'm gone...
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
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
i love chris' intensity when he sings. i'd have to agree with veroamore6 this song is about a summer road trip. chris is so talented, he captures feelings in a way that nobody can and so long, so long is a perfect example of this.