"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.
Step up to the plate to play the game
Seem self equipped to play it safe
Step up to the plate to play the game
Seem self equipped to play it safe
And the boy’s got skills, the girl’s got notion
Smart enough but he lacks devotion
Your reasons ramble and your rhymes keep scheming
But it’s not enough so just keep on dreaming along
And I know you’ll, you’ll never make it on your own
And I know you’ll never get it right
You only take this so far, then leave it all behind
So tonight, I’m making up my mind
Before we take this too far and leave it all behind
So rise up to the occasion cause your robbing schemes,
No explanation, got minor details filling these gaps
And your memory, so just trace your footsteps
Back to where this all started, before you got yourself broken-hearted,
Now just keep it right there cause you’ll, you’ll never figure it out
And I know you’ll never get it right
You only take this so far, then leave it all behind
So tonight, I’m making up my mind
Before we take this too far and leave it all behind
Yeah, I miss you and I’m going to sing you a song tonight
And I miss you and I’m going to sing you a song
One more chance to get this right, one more chance to get it right
One more chance to get this right, so never, get it right
I know you’ll never get it right
You only take this so far, then leave it all behind (get it right)
So tonight, I’m making up my mind (get it right)
You know you make this so hard to leave it all behind
Step up to the plate to play the game
Seem self equipped to play it safe
Seem self equipped to play it safe
Step up to the plate to play the game
Seem self equipped to play it safe
And the boy’s got skills, the girl’s got notion
Smart enough but he lacks devotion
Your reasons ramble and your rhymes keep scheming
But it’s not enough so just keep on dreaming along
And I know you’ll, you’ll never make it on your own
And I know you’ll never get it right
You only take this so far, then leave it all behind
So tonight, I’m making up my mind
Before we take this too far and leave it all behind
So rise up to the occasion cause your robbing schemes,
No explanation, got minor details filling these gaps
And your memory, so just trace your footsteps
Back to where this all started, before you got yourself broken-hearted,
Now just keep it right there cause you’ll, you’ll never figure it out
And I know you’ll never get it right
You only take this so far, then leave it all behind
So tonight, I’m making up my mind
Before we take this too far and leave it all behind
Yeah, I miss you and I’m going to sing you a song tonight
And I miss you and I’m going to sing you a song
One more chance to get this right, one more chance to get it right
One more chance to get this right, so never, get it right
I know you’ll never get it right
You only take this so far, then leave it all behind (get it right)
So tonight, I’m making up my mind (get it right)
You know you make this so hard to leave it all behind
Step up to the plate to play the game
Seem self equipped to play it safe
Lyrics submitted by constant
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,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
awesome song... i cant believe alot of people have never heard of them