"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.
Thunder shook loose hail on the outhouse again
Today I bumped into you again
I have no idea what you want
But there was something I meant to say
As the day stops dead
At the place where we're lost
I will drug you and fuck you
On the permafrost
There's not much that I miss
I'm far too forgetful for that
Sugar's sweet some of the time
It's hard to keep some things in mind
As the day stops dead
At the place where we're lost
I will drug you and fuck you
On the permafrost
As the day stops dead
At the place where we're lost
I will drug you and fuck you
On the permafrost
Today I bumped into you again
I have no idea what you want
But there was something I meant to say
As the day stops dead
At the place where we're lost
I will drug you and fuck you
On the permafrost
There's not much that I miss
I'm far too forgetful for that
Sugar's sweet some of the time
It's hard to keep some things in mind
As the day stops dead
At the place where we're lost
I will drug you and fuck you
On the permafrost
As the day stops dead
At the place where we're lost
I will drug you and fuck you
On the permafrost
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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/
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.
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.
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.
Just Howard Devoto being superbly sinister as always.
"I will drug you..."
Ultimate pick-up line, conversation starter and way to charm the pants off a girl.
[i]Under permafrost[/i] should be...
On the Permafrost
@VulcanBomber You know.. as I think about the lyrical error there, coupled with the fact that the chorus lines @tamnin speaks of .. I kind of wish it WAS "UNDER permafrost" =)