"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.
Out where the children all get their own rooms
Where they stir coffee with old silver spoons in their mansions
There's a girl that the whole town can see doesn't fit in
But they all know that she understands them
And they want to know
Where the kid came from
She won't tell anyone
But they know she's a liar
That's what they know
She's a liar
That's what they know
You do what you have to do
Maybe you could be a liar too
There's a school where she goes every day
Everything that you could want if you pay you can find there
She came in with a dream and a plan
Learned how to use movie cameras and started to shine there
And they want to know
Where the kid came from
She won't tell anyone
But they know she's a liar
That's what they know
She's a liar
That's what they know
And if she had to
She could turn the camera right on you
As for the teachers they all knew her crime
When she was everyday always on time they saw through her
She took the train from the city at dawn
Broke through the woods and crept through the lawns to her future
So maybe they know
Where the kid came from
They won't tell anyone
And they know she's a liar
That's what they know
She's a liar
Just because
She reached higher
They are so proud of their liar
They are so proud
You do what you have to do
Maybe you could be a liar too
Where they stir coffee with old silver spoons in their mansions
There's a girl that the whole town can see doesn't fit in
But they all know that she understands them
And they want to know
Where the kid came from
She won't tell anyone
But they know she's a liar
That's what they know
She's a liar
That's what they know
You do what you have to do
Maybe you could be a liar too
There's a school where she goes every day
Everything that you could want if you pay you can find there
She came in with a dream and a plan
Learned how to use movie cameras and started to shine there
And they want to know
Where the kid came from
She won't tell anyone
But they know she's a liar
That's what they know
She's a liar
That's what they know
And if she had to
She could turn the camera right on you
As for the teachers they all knew her crime
When she was everyday always on time they saw through her
She took the train from the city at dawn
Broke through the woods and crept through the lawns to her future
So maybe they know
Where the kid came from
They won't tell anyone
And they know she's a liar
That's what they know
She's a liar
Just because
She reached higher
They are so proud of their liar
They are so proud
You do what you have to do
Maybe you could be a liar too
Lyrics submitted by rocketdays
Liar Lyrics as written by Josiah Johnson Chris Zasche
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
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/
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.
I am completely in love with this song, but I onlyhalf get it, anyone know?
It's about a little girl who lives in the city, but cheats the system and goes to school out in the suburbs. Laying aside the fact that the school would never let that happen, the song is about going after what you want ("She came in with a dream and a plan") and going after it ("Broke through the woods and crept through the lawns to her future"). The towns people can all see she doesn't belong, but don't know where she came from. The teachers know, but don't say anything, because "They are so proud of their liar".