"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 want your independence
But you won't let me let you go
You wanna test the waters
And leave it on the empty shores
But I'll take my time if you want to
And I'll give you whatever you need
And I'll wait a lifetime to give it to you
Give it to you
You think that you?re the sun
The whole world revolves around you
The center of attention
And everything is drawn to you
But I'll take my time if you want to
And I'll give you whatever you need
And I'll wait a lifetime to give it to you
Give it to you
I would wait a lifetime
And I would wait for you
I would wait a lifetime
And I would wait for you
But I'll take my time if you want to
And I'll give you whatever you need
And I'll wait a lifetime to give it to you
Give it to you
But you won't let me let you go
You wanna test the waters
And leave it on the empty shores
But I'll take my time if you want to
And I'll give you whatever you need
And I'll wait a lifetime to give it to you
Give it to you
You think that you?re the sun
The whole world revolves around you
The center of attention
And everything is drawn to you
But I'll take my time if you want to
And I'll give you whatever you need
And I'll wait a lifetime to give it to you
Give it to you
I would wait a lifetime
And I would wait for you
I would wait a lifetime
And I would wait for you
But I'll take my time if you want to
And I'll give you whatever you need
And I'll wait a lifetime to give it to you
Give it to you
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
pretty sure its give in to you