"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'm steady tryna find the motive (motive)
Why I do what I do?
The freedom ain't getting no closer (closer)
No matter how far I go
My car is stolen (stolen)
No registration ('stration)
Cops patrollin' (patrollin')
Now they done stop me and I get locked up
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out
Heading uptown to re-up (re-up)
Back with a couple keys (keys)
The corner block's on fire (fire)
Undercovers dressed as fiends (fiends)
Making so much money (money)
Product's moving fast (fast)
Put away the stash
As I sold the last bag
Fucked around and got locked up
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (my nigga, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out (I got locked up)
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (baby girl, I'm Glocked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out
'Cause visitation no longer comes by (comes by)
Seems like they forgot about me ('bout me)
Commissary is getting empty (empty)
My cell mates eating food without me (without me)
Can't wait to get out and move forward with my life (move on with my life)
Got a family that loves me and wants me to do right
But instead, I'm here locked up
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (oh, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out (my nigga, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (oh, oh, oh, yeah, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out
Can you pay me a visit (they won't let me out)
Send me some magazines (they won't let me out)
Send me some money orders (they won't let me out, no)
Pay me a visit, baby (they won't let me out)
'Cause I'm locked up (they won't let me out)
Where's my lawyer? (They won't let me out)
I'm locked up (they won't let me out, no)
Get me out of here (they won't let me out)
Locked up (they won't let me out)
They won't let me out
Baby, I'm locked up (they won't let me out, no)
Where's my niggas on the block? Tell them I'm locked up
(They won't let me out)
I'm locked up (they won't let me out)
Oh (they won't let me out, no)
Can you please accept my phone call? (They won't let me out)
'Cause I'm locked up (locked up, locked up)
Why I do what I do?
The freedom ain't getting no closer (closer)
No matter how far I go
My car is stolen (stolen)
No registration ('stration)
Cops patrollin' (patrollin')
Now they done stop me and I get locked up
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out
Heading uptown to re-up (re-up)
Back with a couple keys (keys)
The corner block's on fire (fire)
Undercovers dressed as fiends (fiends)
Making so much money (money)
Product's moving fast (fast)
Put away the stash
As I sold the last bag
Fucked around and got locked up
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (my nigga, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out (I got locked up)
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (baby girl, I'm Glocked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out
'Cause visitation no longer comes by (comes by)
Seems like they forgot about me ('bout me)
Commissary is getting empty (empty)
My cell mates eating food without me (without me)
Can't wait to get out and move forward with my life (move on with my life)
Got a family that loves me and wants me to do right
But instead, I'm here locked up
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (oh, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out (my nigga, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out
They won't let me out (oh, oh, oh, yeah, I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, no
They won't let me out
Can you pay me a visit (they won't let me out)
Send me some magazines (they won't let me out)
Send me some money orders (they won't let me out, no)
Pay me a visit, baby (they won't let me out)
'Cause I'm locked up (they won't let me out)
Where's my lawyer? (They won't let me out)
I'm locked up (they won't let me out, no)
Get me out of here (they won't let me out)
Locked up (they won't let me out)
They won't let me out
Baby, I'm locked up (they won't let me out, no)
Where's my niggas on the block? Tell them I'm locked up
(They won't let me out)
I'm locked up (they won't let me out)
Oh (they won't let me out, no)
Can you please accept my phone call? (They won't let me out)
'Cause I'm locked up (locked up, locked up)
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Little Feat
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the second verse should say..... headin up town to re-up back with a couple of keys...like kilos