"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.
Hey, where the hell are you
You don't call me back, John
Won't you come here and stay with me
Why don't you come here and stay with me
Hey, where the hell are you
You don't call me back, John
Won't you come here and stay with me
Why don't you come here and stay with me
Show up here loaded with bells on your toes
I don't care what you're into
I'll put velvet ropes around you, if that's what you need
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
Oh, you gotta get out and get back to me
John, you gotta get out and get back to me
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
Oh, you gotta get out and get back to me
Take his limousine, you gotta get back to me
I'm getting nervous
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
No sign of a friend of mine
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Red hair and blue eyes
I'm getting nervous
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
No sign of a friend of mine
I was in a train under a river when I remembered what
What I wanted to tell you, man
What I wanted to tell you, man
I got two sets of headphones, I miss you like hell
Won't you come here and stay with me
Why don't you come here and stay with me
I'm getting nervous
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
No sign of a friend of mine
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Red hair and blue eyes
I'm getting nervous
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
No sign of a friend of mine
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
Oh, you gotta get out and get back to me
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
John, you gotta get out and get back to me
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
Fake a heart attack, you gotta get back to me
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
John, you gotta get out and get back to me
You don't call me back, John
Won't you come here and stay with me
Why don't you come here and stay with me
Hey, where the hell are you
You don't call me back, John
Won't you come here and stay with me
Why don't you come here and stay with me
Show up here loaded with bells on your toes
I don't care what you're into
I'll put velvet ropes around you, if that's what you need
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
Oh, you gotta get out and get back to me
John, you gotta get out and get back to me
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
Oh, you gotta get out and get back to me
Take his limousine, you gotta get back to me
I'm getting nervous
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
No sign of a friend of mine
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Red hair and blue eyes
I'm getting nervous
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
No sign of a friend of mine
I was in a train under a river when I remembered what
What I wanted to tell you, man
What I wanted to tell you, man
I got two sets of headphones, I miss you like hell
Won't you come here and stay with me
Why don't you come here and stay with me
I'm getting nervous
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
No sign of a friend of mine
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Red hair and blue eyes
I'm getting nervous
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
No sign of a friend of mine
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
Oh, you gotta get out and get back to me
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
John, you gotta get out and get back to me
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
Fake a heart attack, you gotta get back to me
Why did you listen to that man, that man's a balloon
John, you gotta get out and get back to me
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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."
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental 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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
So someone's just explained what it means, after interviewing the singer who told him, yet you still think you know better? Interesting.