"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.
Everyone loves you
Nobody cares
An awful collection
Of enemies and friends
Congratulations to you
With no regrets
I'm tired of the old shit
Let the new shit begin
They psychic pain
Of living in this world
Is overwhelming me
Again and again
A beautiful afternoon
Inside you in your bed
I'm tired of the old shit
Let the new shit begin
Nobody loves you
Everyone cares
None of them know what's
Coming 'round the bend
Congratulations to me
Many happy returns
I'm tired of the old shit
Let the new shit begin
Nobody cares
An awful collection
Of enemies and friends
Congratulations to you
With no regrets
I'm tired of the old shit
Let the new shit begin
They psychic pain
Of living in this world
Is overwhelming me
Again and again
A beautiful afternoon
Inside you in your bed
I'm tired of the old shit
Let the new shit begin
Nobody loves you
Everyone cares
None of them know what's
Coming 'round the bend
Congratulations to me
Many happy returns
I'm tired of the old shit
Let the new shit begin
Lyrics submitted by Joekubrick
Old Shit/New Shit Lyrics as written by Mark O. Everett
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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”
Blue
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This song is about how people always want to move on in life because it always seems bad at the current, even when it changes. "Everyone loves you, nobody cares"/"Nobody loves you, everyone cares".
That's right.
I think this is about "The psychic pain of living in this world" and feeling utterly misunderstood and lonely Kind of mild form of depression where one loses faith in everything. Nothing feels good enough, yet you manage to get through. I think E. has that (you can see it in "mental" too) ... Stephin Merritt could be another exemple ... makes great writers ...
This song is about being a sad sack but wanting to move on. He's done the depressed thing - he's ready to move on from that. And feel something different. It's something I was going through when this song was released.