"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.
Got to feed the human nature
Got to be a real true Jet setter
Got to feed the human nature
Got to be a real go getter
(a & b at the same time)
(a)
I've had my fill
It made me ill
And now I see
That you and me are meant to be
A tragedy
(b)
In my head
I said you're in my heart
You are in my blood
I'm going to phone
In my book
I said you're in my blood
I said you're in my bones
I'm going to phone
Got to feed the human nature
You must pursue the grand adventure
Got to feed the human nature
You got to lead the life god gave you
(a & b at the same time)
(a)
I've had my fill
It made me ill
And now I see
That you and me are meant to be
A tragedy
(b)
In my head
I said you're in my heart
You are in my blood
I'm going to phone
In my book
I said you're in my blood
I said you're in my bones
I'm going to phone
Dialing Darling
Dialing my Darling (x2)
(at the same time as above)
Well I am dialing
Well I am dialing
On the telephone
On the telephone
On the telephone
On the telephone
I'm going to call you up
We're going to have a conversation
I am dialing
I think I love you
What am I so afraid of
So what am I so afraid of
I'm going to call you up
I'm going to call you up
I'm going to call you up
(a & b at the same time)
(a)
I've had my fill
It made me ill
And now I see
That you and me are meant to be
A tragedy
(b)
In my head
I said you're in my heart
You are in my blood
I'm going to phone
In my book
I said you're in my blood
I said you're in my bones
I'm going to phone
It's a scam and it's run by a man with a gun
And you know that he's never going to let you have fun (x2)
Got to be a real true Jet setter
Got to feed the human nature
Got to be a real go getter
(a & b at the same time)
(a)
I've had my fill
It made me ill
And now I see
That you and me are meant to be
A tragedy
(b)
In my head
I said you're in my heart
You are in my blood
I'm going to phone
In my book
I said you're in my blood
I said you're in my bones
I'm going to phone
Got to feed the human nature
You must pursue the grand adventure
Got to feed the human nature
You got to lead the life god gave you
(a & b at the same time)
(a)
I've had my fill
It made me ill
And now I see
That you and me are meant to be
A tragedy
(b)
In my head
I said you're in my heart
You are in my blood
I'm going to phone
In my book
I said you're in my blood
I said you're in my bones
I'm going to phone
Dialing Darling
Dialing my Darling (x2)
(at the same time as above)
Well I am dialing
Well I am dialing
On the telephone
On the telephone
On the telephone
On the telephone
I'm going to call you up
We're going to have a conversation
I am dialing
I think I love you
What am I so afraid of
So what am I so afraid of
I'm going to call you up
I'm going to call you up
I'm going to call you up
(a & b at the same time)
(a)
I've had my fill
It made me ill
And now I see
That you and me are meant to be
A tragedy
(b)
In my head
I said you're in my heart
You are in my blood
I'm going to phone
In my book
I said you're in my blood
I said you're in my bones
I'm going to phone
It's a scam and it's run by a man with a gun
And you know that he's never going to let you have fun (x2)
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.
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.