"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.
Come rolling into town unaware
Of the power that you have over me
And what am I to do
With hello how are you
Nothing's ever said that should be
And I don't care about you
If you don't care about me
We can go our separate ways
If you want to
The ties of love are strong
But they can be undone
And we'll go our separate ways
If you want to
I'm turning into me, not you
I can change my mind not my blood
And not all who love are blind
Some of us are just too kind
We forgive too much
And never speak our minds
And I don't care about you
If you don't care about me
We can go our separate ways
If you want to
The ties of love are strong
But they can be undone
And we'll go our separate ways
If you want to
I'm giving up on you
And I'll turn my heart to something new
And we'll go our separate ways
If you want to
I stood out in the rain
Holding my breath
Waiting for you
You never came
You broke my heart
You broke my heart
I know who's to blame
You're to blame
And I don't care about you
If you don't care about me
We can go our separate ways
If you want to
The ties of love are strong
But they can be undone
And we'll go our separate ways
If you want to
Of the power that you have over me
And what am I to do
With hello how are you
Nothing's ever said that should be
And I don't care about you
If you don't care about me
We can go our separate ways
If you want to
The ties of love are strong
But they can be undone
And we'll go our separate ways
If you want to
I'm turning into me, not you
I can change my mind not my blood
And not all who love are blind
Some of us are just too kind
We forgive too much
And never speak our minds
And I don't care about you
If you don't care about me
We can go our separate ways
If you want to
The ties of love are strong
But they can be undone
And we'll go our separate ways
If you want to
I'm giving up on you
And I'll turn my heart to something new
And we'll go our separate ways
If you want to
I stood out in the rain
Holding my breath
Waiting for you
You never came
You broke my heart
You broke my heart
I know who's to blame
You're to blame
And I don't care about you
If you don't care about me
We can go our separate ways
If you want to
The ties of love are strong
But they can be undone
And we'll go our separate ways
If you want to
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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,
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/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
i can't believe no one has ever commented on this song! i discovered i very recently, and it's become one of those songs that you play over and over, and never get sick of... everything about this song is perfect: the melody is beautiful and the lyrics (even though they are relatively simple and straightforward), i think they're very powerful and carry a lot of meaning... it's about a guy that's deeply in love with the girl who broke his heart (probably after cheating on him "some of us are just too kind, we forgive too much and never speak our minds)... he tried to move on, but she still "has power over him", but finally realizes that there's no point in putting any more effort in trying to get her if she will never love him back "and i don't care about you if you don't care about me"... he accepts the fact that he's still very much in love with her, but that he'll move on eventually "ties of love are strong, but they can be undone" ... so in the end, despite his pain and broken heart, he "turns his heart to something new" ... all i can say is I LOVE THIS SONG!
I love this, and I can relate to it so much, Teddy does heartbreak very well.
One thing I've been pondering though, is the line "I'm turning into me, not you, I can change my mind not my blood". To me, it sounds like something someone with divorced parents would feel after a failed relationship. What do you think?
It also breaks my heart the way he sings "And we'll go our separate ways, if you want to", signalling that he would probably stay with her if she wanted him to.