"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.
Now listen to me honey
While I say
How could you tell me that you're going away
Don't say that we must part
Don't break my aching heart
You know I've loved you truly many years
I loved you night and day
How could you tell it to me
Can't you see my tears
Now listen while I say
After you've gone
And left me crying
After you've gone
There's no denying
You feel blue
You feel sad
You'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
There'll come a time
Now don't forget it
There'll come a time
When you'll regret it
Someday when you grow lonely
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
After you've gone
After you've gone away
After you've gone
After the break up
After you've gone
You'll wanna wake up
And you will find that you were blind
To let somebody come and change your mind
After the years we've been together
The joy and all the tears
In all nights of weather
Someday when you've departed
You'll long to be with me right back where we started
After you've gone
After you've gone away
Oh babe think what you're doing
You know my love for you will drive me to ruins
After you've gone
After you've gone away
While I say
How could you tell me that you're going away
Don't say that we must part
Don't break my aching heart
You know I've loved you truly many years
I loved you night and day
How could you tell it to me
Can't you see my tears
Now listen while I say
After you've gone
And left me crying
After you've gone
There's no denying
You feel blue
You feel sad
You'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
There'll come a time
Now don't forget it
There'll come a time
When you'll regret it
Someday when you grow lonely
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
After you've gone
After you've gone away
After you've gone
After the break up
After you've gone
You'll wanna wake up
And you will find that you were blind
To let somebody come and change your mind
After the years we've been together
The joy and all the tears
In all nights of weather
Someday when you've departed
You'll long to be with me right back where we started
After you've gone
After you've gone away
Oh babe think what you're doing
You know my love for you will drive me to ruins
After you've gone
After you've gone away
Lyrics submitted by ophelia219, edited by Mellow_Harsher
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
i can't find her version of this song ANYWHERE. i'll just have to keep the video of it constantly open on youtube. wonderful performance especially her eff up at the end. youtube.com/watch
fell in love with this song since the first time, her voice is amazing, and i love how she makes it her own way.i can never really get tired of hearing it i think that my favorite part is "someday when you grow lonely you heart will break like mine and you'll want me only" so simple but yet amazing
i think it's 'in all types of weather' instead of 'in all nights of weather'