"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.
If love was this door, I've slammed it in your face, ran out to the balcony and jumped to the ground.
I've sponged the place in gasoline before igniting the foundation and burning it to ashes.
to ashes...
If love was a plane, then I've flown it to the highest point, but then let it come crashing down to earth.
Fasten your seatbelts, we're going down now.
If love was a child then I've scolded him to no end.
He's been filled the nothing inside,
until the day when bullets filled the emptiness inside him from his own gun, from his own hands.
Love became the pill that stopped his shakes.
He's never crossed a man's face so hard.
Love became the pill that put him under.
He's never scratched a man's heart so deep.
If love was born to die then I've buried him six feet under.
if you take the one and minus him by two, you've got the end of the world before its even begun.
Although I've murdered his whole heart, I can revive him with my own two hands.
I've sponged the place in gasoline before igniting the foundation and burning it to ashes.
to ashes...
If love was a plane, then I've flown it to the highest point, but then let it come crashing down to earth.
Fasten your seatbelts, we're going down now.
If love was a child then I've scolded him to no end.
He's been filled the nothing inside,
until the day when bullets filled the emptiness inside him from his own gun, from his own hands.
Love became the pill that stopped his shakes.
He's never crossed a man's face so hard.
Love became the pill that put him under.
He's never scratched a man's heart so deep.
If love was born to die then I've buried him six feet under.
if you take the one and minus him by two, you've got the end of the world before its even begun.
Although I've murdered his whole heart, I can revive him with my own two hands.
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
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”
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
We've turned our back on TRUE love. The love of God manifested itself in flesh as Jesus Christ. Its all you'll ever need, it can fill the void in your heart. Take away the depression. Jesus was born to die, for our sins. Our sin killed Jesus. And that verse about the one minus the two I think is stating the fact that God is triune. Everything was made through Him and by Him. Hebrews chapter 1. Read it, i just kinda summarized it. Answering the question above me by Teen bite, that might be since Christ took up the burden that we couldnt handle.