"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.
After all, the broken stones
That were thrown, for no good reason
Inside, she's loving him still
After all this time
And though her heart, begs the stars
No sign of healing, it's all right
She's loving him still, after all this time.
Oh yeah
Trying to push the past away
Still waiting for the lights to change
Try, try for the sake of it
Learning to barely feel the pain
Thicker the skin the less the strain
And though it's really hurting
She ain't breaking, breaking, breaking
Coz she's loving him still, after all this time
Now he knows his weakness shows
Selfish soul, never changing
That's fine, because she's loving him still
After all this time
And to the outside eye
You see you found a different guy
And it all seems perfect, and that's how she wants it
Coz she's loving him still, after all this time.
Trying to push the past away
Still waiting for the lights to change
Try, try for the sake of it
Learning to barely feel the pain
Thicker the skin the less the strain
And though it's really hurting
She ain't breaking, breaking, breaking
Coz she's loving him still, after all this time
After all this time
After all, after all, after all this time
Bones have to grow, and age it shows
Though we try and hide it
Inside, she's loving him still
After all this time
And behind his tired eyes, she sees the boy with his arms wide
Who made her feel like an angel
Oh that's why she's loving him still
For the rest of her life, she's loving him still
For the last of many miles
She's loving him still
After all this time
That were thrown, for no good reason
Inside, she's loving him still
After all this time
And though her heart, begs the stars
No sign of healing, it's all right
She's loving him still, after all this time.
Oh yeah
Trying to push the past away
Still waiting for the lights to change
Try, try for the sake of it
Learning to barely feel the pain
Thicker the skin the less the strain
And though it's really hurting
She ain't breaking, breaking, breaking
Coz she's loving him still, after all this time
Now he knows his weakness shows
Selfish soul, never changing
That's fine, because she's loving him still
After all this time
And to the outside eye
You see you found a different guy
And it all seems perfect, and that's how she wants it
Coz she's loving him still, after all this time.
Trying to push the past away
Still waiting for the lights to change
Try, try for the sake of it
Learning to barely feel the pain
Thicker the skin the less the strain
And though it's really hurting
She ain't breaking, breaking, breaking
Coz she's loving him still, after all this time
After all this time
After all, after all, after all this time
Bones have to grow, and age it shows
Though we try and hide it
Inside, she's loving him still
After all this time
And behind his tired eyes, she sees the boy with his arms wide
Who made her feel like an angel
Oh that's why she's loving him still
For the rest of her life, she's loving him still
For the last of many miles
She's loving him still
After all this time
Lyrics submitted by little_miss_failure
After All This Time Lyrics as written by David Jaymes Paul Simon Gendler
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
"And though her heart, begs the stars" - should be "And though her heart, bares the scars, No sign of healing...
When I hear this song it always makes me sad to think of the idea that someone could hurt another so much, and the front you sometimes feel forced to wear so that people actually believe you're ok, when you're not.