"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.
Two, ah-three, ah-four!
Two, ah-three, ah-four!
Two, ah-three, ah-four!
I really should be saying goodnight.
I really shouldn't stay anymore.
It's been so long since I held ya.
I've forgotten what love is for.
I should run on the double
I think I'm in trouble,
I think I'm in trouble.
So come to me darlin' and hold me
Let your honey keep you warm
Been so long since I held ya
I've forgotten what love is for.
I should run on the double
I think I'm in trouble.
Two, ah-three, ah-four!
Two, ah-three, ah-four!
I really should be saying goodnight.
I really shouldn't stay anymore.
It's been so long since I held ya.
I've forgotten what love is for.
I should run on the double
I think I'm in trouble,
I think I'm in trouble.
So come to me darlin' and hold me
Let your honey keep you warm
Been so long since I held ya
I've forgotten what love is for.
I should run on the double
I think I'm in trouble.
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
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Someone please tell Lindsey to stop singing about me!!!
It's almost insulting that no one has comented on this haunting ballad from yesteryear.
What really amuses me is the wide range of this guy compositions... from his participation on Fleetwood Mac (could this song be about Stevie Nicks, his former love?) to the campy Hollyday Road from Chevy Chase's Vacation.
Oh, I think I'm in trouble...
Such a forgotten gem. It's about the fear of commitment and getting hurt. You want to run but you get caught up in the magic. This song wraps around you like a glove.
This song is definitely about stevie nicks. He wrote this around the time of the tusk tour.
I'd venture to guess this was about Carol Ann Harris. Give Storms a read. It's a great memoir. Carol Ann was Lindsey's girlfriend during the tusk era.
He wrote this song when he was with Harris. Read the lyrics; the song is definitely about a relationship from his past, veeeerrry likely Stevie Nicks.
love this song one of my fav from his solo career.
Oh I think Im in trouble
This could be about any woman......
This song could be about any woman...oh you're in trouble alright..
I don't think this is about Carol Ann Haris. I've read Storms and this is a great book but at this time, Carol was very committed to Lindsey's career, even more committed than her own life. I think she wasn't a trouble to Lindsey, he held her anywhere and anytime he wanted, he was very secure about his relationship with her. I think this is definitely about Stevie. As we all know their relationship ended in 76 but I think they went on and off, I think they had several affairs along the years and I think this because they have such heavy feelings for each other... and I think Stevie was a trouble for him because he was dating Carol and because their past...
This is one of those songs that are better in acoustic version