"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.
Ya..ga..da..wo.. ya..ga..da..wo..
daitan sugiru kana tte kurai ga choudo ii
shiryo fukaku enryo fukaku to ka shoujiki mendou kusai
saa issho ni
Bold & Delicious
damatte mitenaide tachiagatte misete
Bold & Delicious
sou jiyuu ni natte motto koe o agete
watashi ni hibikasete koko ni iru n datte
koko zotte toki ni fumikomenai no ga ichiban samui
yaranu kui nara yatte kui ga ii tte yoku iu desho
saa issho ni
Bold & Delicious
mou kidtsuiteru hazu kokoro no koe ni
Bold & Delicious
nara isso sakende ogiretsukanaide
watashi o ugokashite anata no subete de
hajimaru mae kara owari no
shinpai nante imi fumei ya..ga..da..wo..
sentakushi wa futatsu nomi de ya..ga..da..wo..
tachidomaru ka tsukisusumu ka
Bold & Delicious
damatte mitenaide tachiagatte misete
Bold & Delicious
sou jiyuu ni natte motto koe o agete
watashi ni hibikasete koko ni iru n datte
Bold & Delicious
Bold & Delicious
nara isso sakende ogiretsukanaide
watashi o ugokashite anata no subete de
Wow wow wow
Wow wow wow
Wow wow wow
wow wow yeah
Ya..ga..da..wo..
daitan sugiru kana tte kurai ga choudo ii
shiryo fukaku enryo fukaku to ka shoujiki mendou kusai
saa issho ni
Bold & Delicious
damatte mitenaide tachiagatte misete
Bold & Delicious
sou jiyuu ni natte motto koe o agete
watashi ni hibikasete koko ni iru n datte
koko zotte toki ni fumikomenai no ga ichiban samui
yaranu kui nara yatte kui ga ii tte yoku iu desho
saa issho ni
Bold & Delicious
mou kidtsuiteru hazu kokoro no koe ni
Bold & Delicious
nara isso sakende ogiretsukanaide
watashi o ugokashite anata no subete de
hajimaru mae kara owari no
shinpai nante imi fumei ya..ga..da..wo..
sentakushi wa futatsu nomi de ya..ga..da..wo..
tachidomaru ka tsukisusumu ka
Bold & Delicious
damatte mitenaide tachiagatte misete
Bold & Delicious
sou jiyuu ni natte motto koe o agete
watashi ni hibikasete koko ni iru n datte
Bold & Delicious
Bold & Delicious
nara isso sakende ogiretsukanaide
watashi o ugokashite anata no subete de
Wow wow wow
Wow wow wow
Wow wow wow
wow wow yeah
Ya..ga..da..wo..
Lyrics submitted by kaneda
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
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.