"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.
Empty spaces fill me up with holes
Distant faces with no place left to go
Without you, within me, I can't find no rest
Where I'm going, is anybody's guess
I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake, but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is
Incomplete
Voices tell me I should carry on
But I am swimming in an ocean all alone
Baby, my baby, it's written on your face
You still wonder if we made a big mistake
I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake, but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is
Incomplete
I don't mean to drag it on
But I can't seem to let you go
I don't wanna make you face this world alone
I wanna let you go (alone)
I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake, but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is
Incomplete
Incomplete
Distant faces with no place left to go
Without you, within me, I can't find no rest
Where I'm going, is anybody's guess
I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake, but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is
Incomplete
Voices tell me I should carry on
But I am swimming in an ocean all alone
Baby, my baby, it's written on your face
You still wonder if we made a big mistake
I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake, but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is
Incomplete
I don't mean to drag it on
But I can't seem to let you go
I don't wanna make you face this world alone
I wanna let you go (alone)
I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake, but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is
Incomplete
Incomplete
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
i love this song. i was a fan of bsb back in in the day. cant wait till the new album is out. this song is so powerful and great. i love it
aw i love this song! good meanings! yeah i totally was a hardcore fan way back when.. i heard this song today and i didnt even realize it was them at first.. they sound so much older and like you said, mature.. i hope this song makes it.. its soo good!
Wow...this song brings a whole new level of respect for BSB to me. The song is touching and introspecive, if not nearly as meaningful as many of the greats. In my humble opinion, this is their best work yet. Good work!
The meaning is fairly obvious: he's hurtin over a girl that left, he feels incomplete without her. You hardly have to scratch the surface to get that.
Pretty good song. I'm really interested to see how well it does though, I mean 5, 6 years ago when boy bands were in this would easily make it to number 1 but times have changed.
I. Love. This. Song. Fits perfectly with my life. I love the Backstreet Boys. I'm a hardcore fan from way back when. I can't wait for the new stuff to come out. I'm sure it's gonna be much more mature, which is good because I'm much more mature than I was...in 5th grade.
Love the meaning!!! That you try to let it go of that person who left, but that part of you is gone, no matter how hard you fight to try and get it back. He's hurt over what happened, he's incomplete with his girl. So he's still trying to get her back... And I love the Backstreet Boys and I always Have! Good Job Guys!?!?!? Welcome Back!:P
i miss the bsb!! thank god they\'re back! ;)
Lovely song.
i miss Nsync! lol
I can really relate to this song and back in the day I DID NOT get into boy bands, but this song really does sound grown up. It's a great song. To me this song is more about leaving a relationship, making a sacrifice for the other person, so that they could be happy, setting them free. I think in general this song is just about the pain either person goes through after a relationship ends, no matter who left. JMO.