"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.
Maybe we could break your ankle, clean and unsuspiciously.
An ER trip, a doctor's slip, and you could share your pills with me.
Won't it feel so good, though, when we're lying side by side,
when you can't move, when I'm not trying?
2000 milligrams each.
A hotel by the pharmacy with drinking straws in toothpaste tubes.
Stash them with your toiletries and I will share my pills with you.
Little Michael sleeping in the child safety seat,
lying with the windows rolled up, in the August heat.
3000 milligrams each, 4000 milligrams.
We're driving down the interstate, you're feeling great, you scratch your wrist,
and we pretend your kids, your husband, all you left does not exist.
When in some motel that night we're lying,
I can barely whisper it's like dying.
Baby, do you know what I mean? Baby, did you hear me? Baby, you fell asleep.
I know I'm weak, I won't deny we'll see our trial sometime soon.
But when we know we're fucked, I'll half the pile and share my pills with you.
Cause we've felt fully in our bodies, and we've felt totally alive,
so we're prepared to float above this dirty bed where we both lie.
Where we lie, lie, lie. Will we be fine? Not this time.
An ER trip, a doctor's slip, and you could share your pills with me.
Won't it feel so good, though, when we're lying side by side,
when you can't move, when I'm not trying?
2000 milligrams each.
A hotel by the pharmacy with drinking straws in toothpaste tubes.
Stash them with your toiletries and I will share my pills with you.
Little Michael sleeping in the child safety seat,
lying with the windows rolled up, in the August heat.
3000 milligrams each, 4000 milligrams.
We're driving down the interstate, you're feeling great, you scratch your wrist,
and we pretend your kids, your husband, all you left does not exist.
When in some motel that night we're lying,
I can barely whisper it's like dying.
Baby, do you know what I mean? Baby, did you hear me? Baby, you fell asleep.
I know I'm weak, I won't deny we'll see our trial sometime soon.
But when we know we're fucked, I'll half the pile and share my pills with you.
Cause we've felt fully in our bodies, and we've felt totally alive,
so we're prepared to float above this dirty bed where we both lie.
Where we lie, lie, lie. Will we be fine? Not this time.
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
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
To me, this song seems like it talks about adultery. The line that proves it quite well is the following: "We’re driving down the interstate, you’re feeling great, you scratch your wrist, and we pretend your kids, your husband, all you left does not exist. And in some motel that night we’re lying,"
Both of them feel like shit and is probably the reason why they started having the affair, and that's where the medical theme comes in. It might be a reference to drugs, but what is for sure is that they're doing it to forget the fact they are in the biggest shit situation of their lives.
Curious how Get Big is also about adultery, but from the viewpoint of the one who was betrayed rather than the cheater. This is most likely the same triangle of love that Next Four Months portrays. God, do I love Okkervil River.