"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.
I guess
That this is where we've come to
If you don't want to
Then you don't have to
Believe me
But I
Won't be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You're on your own now
Believe me
Yo
I don't wanna be the one to blame you
Like fun and games
Keep playin' 'em
I'm just sayin'
Think back then
We was like one in the same
On the right track
But I was on the wrong train
It's like that
Now you gotta face the pain
And the devil's got a fresh new place to play
In your brain
Like a maze
You can never escape
The rain
Every damn day's the same shade of grey
Hey
I used to have a little bit of a plan
Use ta'
Have a concept of where I stand
But that concept slipped right outta my hand
And now
I don't really even know who I am
Yo
What do I have to say
Maybe I should do
What I have to do to break free
'N whatever happens to you
We'll see
But it's not gonna happen with me
I guess
That this is where we've come to
If you don't want to
Then you don't have to
Believe me
But I
Won't be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You're on your own now
Believe me
Back then
I thought you were just like me
Somebody who could see all the pain I see
But you
Proved to me unintentionally
That you would self destruct eventually
Now I'm thinkin' like the mistake I made doesn't hurt
But its not gonna work
'Cause it's really much worse
Than I thought
I wished you were something you were not
And now this guilt is really all that I got
You turn your back
And walk away in shame
All you got
Is a memory 'a pain
Nothin' makes sense
You jus' stare at the ground
I hear my voice in your head
When no one else is around
So what do I have to say
Maybe I should do
What I have to do
To break free
Man
'N whatever happens to you
We'll see
But it's not gonna happen with me
I guess
That this is where we've come to
If you don't want to
Then you don't have to
Believe me
But I
Won't be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You're on your own now
Believe me
Yeah!
I guess
That this is where we've come to
If you don't want to
Then you don't have to
Believe me
But I
Won't be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You're on your own now
Believe me
I will do what I have to do
You're on your own now
Believe me
Whatever happens to you
You're on your own now
Believe me
What do I have to say
You're on your own now
Believe me
Its not gonna happen to me
You're on your own now
Believe me
Yeah!
That this is where we've come to
If you don't want to
Then you don't have to
Believe me
But I
Won't be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You're on your own now
Believe me
Yo
I don't wanna be the one to blame you
Like fun and games
Keep playin' 'em
I'm just sayin'
Think back then
We was like one in the same
On the right track
But I was on the wrong train
It's like that
Now you gotta face the pain
And the devil's got a fresh new place to play
In your brain
Like a maze
You can never escape
The rain
Every damn day's the same shade of grey
Hey
I used to have a little bit of a plan
Use ta'
Have a concept of where I stand
But that concept slipped right outta my hand
And now
I don't really even know who I am
Yo
What do I have to say
Maybe I should do
What I have to do to break free
'N whatever happens to you
We'll see
But it's not gonna happen with me
I guess
That this is where we've come to
If you don't want to
Then you don't have to
Believe me
But I
Won't be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You're on your own now
Believe me
Back then
I thought you were just like me
Somebody who could see all the pain I see
But you
Proved to me unintentionally
That you would self destruct eventually
Now I'm thinkin' like the mistake I made doesn't hurt
But its not gonna work
'Cause it's really much worse
Than I thought
I wished you were something you were not
And now this guilt is really all that I got
You turn your back
And walk away in shame
All you got
Is a memory 'a pain
Nothin' makes sense
You jus' stare at the ground
I hear my voice in your head
When no one else is around
So what do I have to say
Maybe I should do
What I have to do
To break free
Man
'N whatever happens to you
We'll see
But it's not gonna happen with me
I guess
That this is where we've come to
If you don't want to
Then you don't have to
Believe me
But I
Won't be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You're on your own now
Believe me
Yeah!
I guess
That this is where we've come to
If you don't want to
Then you don't have to
Believe me
But I
Won't be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You're on your own now
Believe me
I will do what I have to do
You're on your own now
Believe me
Whatever happens to you
You're on your own now
Believe me
What do I have to say
You're on your own now
Believe me
Its not gonna happen to me
You're on your own now
Believe me
Yeah!
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
this song is great!i think that it means the girlfriend cant stand the fact that they're breaking up but the boyfriend knows that it should happen."your on your own now believe me"
another possilble meaning is that there is a sign of carma.