"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.
When she picked up the telephone, his voice came on the line
She said, this can't be happening, and tears fell from her eyes
She said, what am I supposed to do,
I can't handle losing you
He said I just had to call and say goodbye, one last time
He said there are some things In this life that are out of our control
Like who we fall In love with and when it's time to go
She said, what about the plans we had
He said this connection's getting bad
Now come on baby, let me hear you smile, one last time
She started to apologize for all the things that she'd done wrong
She said I would've loved you better, if only I'd known
He said you were the perfect wife,
Promise me you'll go on with your life
She said, the boys won't understand,
He said, tell them daddy loves them and
Be strong
He said, hon, I gotta go, she said don't you dare hang up
There's so many things I need to say, I love you so much
It was almost like she felt him leave
She cried out, can you still hear me
She fell down on the kitchen floor when the signal died
As the pilot tried to pull out of the dive
One last time
She said, this can't be happening, and tears fell from her eyes
She said, what am I supposed to do,
I can't handle losing you
He said I just had to call and say goodbye, one last time
He said there are some things In this life that are out of our control
Like who we fall In love with and when it's time to go
She said, what about the plans we had
He said this connection's getting bad
Now come on baby, let me hear you smile, one last time
She started to apologize for all the things that she'd done wrong
She said I would've loved you better, if only I'd known
He said you were the perfect wife,
Promise me you'll go on with your life
She said, the boys won't understand,
He said, tell them daddy loves them and
Be strong
He said, hon, I gotta go, she said don't you dare hang up
There's so many things I need to say, I love you so much
It was almost like she felt him leave
She cried out, can you still hear me
She fell down on the kitchen floor when the signal died
As the pilot tried to pull out of the dive
One last time
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
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”
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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/
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.
This is probably the saddest song I've ever heard in my life. It always brings a tear to my eye. It's very well done with the amazing amount of emotion Dusty Drake put into this song.
this song to me about how that love is between two people, and how much he loves his wife, he is saying goodbye to his wife, One Last Time.
Does anyone REALLY know what this song is about? This song is a paraphrase of one of the last phone calls made from Flight 93! I know that 9/11 really isnt mentioned in the song until the last verse when he mentions about the pilot trying to pull out of the dive one last..... The song is really well done, and evokes emotions in anyone who listens to it, you might say its even powerful.