"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.
You ask me what I like about Texas
I tell you it's the wide open spaces!
It's everything between the Sabine and the Rio Grande.
It's the Llano Estacado,
It's the Brazos and the Colorado;
Spirit of the people down here who share this land!
It's another burrito, it's a cold Lone Star in my hand
It's a quarter for the jukebox, boys,
Play the sons of the mothers of the bunkhouse band!
You ask me what I like about Texas
It's the big timber round Nacadoches
It's driving El Camino Real into San Antone
It's the Riverwalk and Mi Tierra
Jamm'n out with bongo Joe
It's stories of the Menger Hotel and the Alamo!
(You remember the Alamo!)
It's another burrito, it's a cold Lone Star in my hand!
It's a quarter for the jukebox, boys,
Play the sons of the mother love'n bunkhouse band!
It's another burrito, it's a cold Lone Star in my hand!
It's a quarter for the jukebox, boys,
Play the sons of the mother love'n bunkhouse band!
Well, you ask me what I like about Texas
It's Blue Bonnet and Indian paint brushes
Swimming in the sacred waters of Barton Springs
It's body surfing at Freo
It's Saturday night in Del Rio!
It's crossing over the border for some cultural exchange!
It's another burrito, it's a cold Lone Star in my hand!
It's a quarter for the jukebox, boys,
Play the sons of the mother love'n bunkhouse band!
Well, you ask me what I like about Texas
Well, I could tell you, but we'd be here all night long
I tell you it's the wide open spaces!
It's everything between the Sabine and the Rio Grande.
It's the Llano Estacado,
It's the Brazos and the Colorado;
Spirit of the people down here who share this land!
It's another burrito, it's a cold Lone Star in my hand
It's a quarter for the jukebox, boys,
Play the sons of the mothers of the bunkhouse band!
You ask me what I like about Texas
It's the big timber round Nacadoches
It's driving El Camino Real into San Antone
It's the Riverwalk and Mi Tierra
Jamm'n out with bongo Joe
It's stories of the Menger Hotel and the Alamo!
(You remember the Alamo!)
It's another burrito, it's a cold Lone Star in my hand!
It's a quarter for the jukebox, boys,
Play the sons of the mother love'n bunkhouse band!
It's another burrito, it's a cold Lone Star in my hand!
It's a quarter for the jukebox, boys,
Play the sons of the mother love'n bunkhouse band!
Well, you ask me what I like about Texas
It's Blue Bonnet and Indian paint brushes
Swimming in the sacred waters of Barton Springs
It's body surfing at Freo
It's Saturday night in Del Rio!
It's crossing over the border for some cultural exchange!
It's another burrito, it's a cold Lone Star in my hand!
It's a quarter for the jukebox, boys,
Play the sons of the mother love'n bunkhouse band!
Well, you ask me what I like about Texas
Well, I could tell you, but we'd be here all night long
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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”
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.
If you’ve ever lived in Texas you would understand this song. It is exactly what its says, “What I like about Texas.”
Gary P. Nunn is another one of my favorite Texas music artists.