"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.
If I lose you
If I lose you
If I lose you
If I lose you
Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, mmm
If I, if I, if I, if I, if I
B-b-b-b-baby g g g, so g g g, you you you
If I lose you
If I lose you
Uh huh, uh huh
If I lose you in the street
If I lose you in the street
If I lose you in the street at night
If I lose you in the street
If I lose, don't be sad
If I lose you in the street
If I lose you in the street, hey
If I lose you in the street
G g come here come here come
Feel for you
Kiss me, break my mind, close the door
Black steel, break my mind, close the door
Black steel, the sight of you falling out
The sight of you
If I lose you in the street, six
If I lose you in the street
I say, I say, I say, I say, I say, I say
Wassup, wassup with you?
Wassup with your friends?
High hills, high hills
Oh I, m b v m b v m b v m b v m b v more m b v hi fi
I wanna see you
Stand up, stand up, stand up
In the high hills
Don't trade, don't don't I don't trade
Don't trade, don't don't I don't trade
May I, may I walk with you?
May I walk with you? uh-oh
In the time takes to slide it back
In the time it changes, recorded at the automat
San francisco mixed with uh-oh
In the time takes to slide it back
In the time it changes shhhhh
Emotional chi, emotional chi
Come on baby, don't fuss
In the time takes to slide it back
Say a what say a what eh eh eh eh eh eh eh
In the time takes to slide it back
Questions say what
I like you mostly late at night
Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight with a tight
Budokan warp, budokan warp, we warp
B b b b b freestyle
I like you mostly late at night
Break my mind, break my mind
In the time takes to slide it back
Raining in my room, sweet and sleepy
Wassup wassup
I can remember I can remember four
We can we can we can we can three
Keep us together keep us together keep us together
In the time takes sliding back
In the time takes sliding back
In the time takes sliding back
Forever
You can be me, swim
The face of you,
Ok the face, we can take it back
I can take you the hills
Days like television
Days like television
D-d-d-d-d-days like television
Face of you, the face of you
In the time takes to slide it back
In the time takes to slide it back
The face of you, for, that's all
Should I wait for you s f l
Should I wait for you?
Should I wait for you?
Come on, should I?
Never forget who you are
There's no reason
D-d-d-d-d-d-d girls
There's no reason wassup
Responsibility, free
In the time takes sliding back
In the time
Responsibility, girls
D-d-d-d-d-d-d break
Wassup
I don't trade
Wassup
I don't trade
Yeah yeah
I don't trade
Wassup
Contact, contact, just sweet remember contact
Boom, contact, contact
That's the way, your first, your last, your only contact
Uh-oh, uh-oh, contact
The first, the last, the only
Bounce, twirl
I don't trade
I don't trade
Yeah yeah
In the time takes sliding back
In the time takes sliding back
Je danse, je suis
In the time takes sliding back
Contact
Je suis, je danse
D-d-d-d with a bit of freestyle
In the time takes sliding back
In the time takes sliding back
Should I?
Time takes sliding back
Contact
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
Contact
He's the shaker, baby
In the time takes sliding back
Twelve o'clock
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
Contact, swallow
Twelve o'clock, one o'clock, no pretending
Virginia, looking at it last night
Virginia plain
Recorded at the power plant, yeah
Vacant together, vacant together, eyes vacant
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
No pretending, contact, you and me
Contact, you and me
Wassup, contact
He's the shaker
Watch him, I can't stand the way, I don't like it
Contact
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
I can't stand the way, I don't like it
Contact
I don't like twelve o'clock either
Contact
Shake it, don't go vacant on me
Don't go vacant on me
Waiting, contact, shaking, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
Watch him, contact, shake it, baby
He's the shaker, baby
Don't go vacant, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
I can't stand the rain, I don't like it at all
If I lose you
If I lose you
If I lose you
Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, mmm
If I, if I, if I, if I, if I
B-b-b-b-baby g g g, so g g g, you you you
If I lose you
If I lose you
Uh huh, uh huh
If I lose you in the street
If I lose you in the street
If I lose you in the street at night
If I lose you in the street
If I lose, don't be sad
If I lose you in the street
If I lose you in the street, hey
If I lose you in the street
G g come here come here come
Feel for you
Kiss me, break my mind, close the door
Black steel, break my mind, close the door
Black steel, the sight of you falling out
The sight of you
If I lose you in the street, six
If I lose you in the street
I say, I say, I say, I say, I say, I say
Wassup, wassup with you?
Wassup with your friends?
High hills, high hills
Oh I, m b v m b v m b v m b v m b v more m b v hi fi
I wanna see you
Stand up, stand up, stand up
In the high hills
Don't trade, don't don't I don't trade
Don't trade, don't don't I don't trade
May I, may I walk with you?
May I walk with you? uh-oh
In the time takes to slide it back
In the time it changes, recorded at the automat
San francisco mixed with uh-oh
In the time takes to slide it back
In the time it changes shhhhh
Emotional chi, emotional chi
Come on baby, don't fuss
In the time takes to slide it back
Say a what say a what eh eh eh eh eh eh eh
In the time takes to slide it back
Questions say what
I like you mostly late at night
Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight with a tight
Budokan warp, budokan warp, we warp
B b b b b freestyle
I like you mostly late at night
Break my mind, break my mind
In the time takes to slide it back
Raining in my room, sweet and sleepy
Wassup wassup
I can remember I can remember four
We can we can we can we can three
Keep us together keep us together keep us together
In the time takes sliding back
In the time takes sliding back
In the time takes sliding back
Forever
You can be me, swim
The face of you,
Ok the face, we can take it back
I can take you the hills
Days like television
Days like television
D-d-d-d-d-days like television
Face of you, the face of you
In the time takes to slide it back
In the time takes to slide it back
The face of you, for, that's all
Should I wait for you s f l
Should I wait for you?
Should I wait for you?
Come on, should I?
Never forget who you are
There's no reason
D-d-d-d-d-d-d girls
There's no reason wassup
Responsibility, free
In the time takes sliding back
In the time
Responsibility, girls
D-d-d-d-d-d-d break
Wassup
I don't trade
Wassup
I don't trade
Yeah yeah
I don't trade
Wassup
Contact, contact, just sweet remember contact
Boom, contact, contact
That's the way, your first, your last, your only contact
Uh-oh, uh-oh, contact
The first, the last, the only
Bounce, twirl
I don't trade
I don't trade
Yeah yeah
In the time takes sliding back
In the time takes sliding back
Je danse, je suis
In the time takes sliding back
Contact
Je suis, je danse
D-d-d-d with a bit of freestyle
In the time takes sliding back
In the time takes sliding back
Should I?
Time takes sliding back
Contact
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
Contact
He's the shaker, baby
In the time takes sliding back
Twelve o'clock
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
Contact, swallow
Twelve o'clock, one o'clock, no pretending
Virginia, looking at it last night
Virginia plain
Recorded at the power plant, yeah
Vacant together, vacant together, eyes vacant
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
No pretending, contact, you and me
Contact, you and me
Wassup, contact
He's the shaker
Watch him, I can't stand the way, I don't like it
Contact
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
I can't stand the way, I don't like it
Contact
I don't like twelve o'clock either
Contact
Shake it, don't go vacant on me
Don't go vacant on me
Waiting, contact, shaking, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
Watch him, contact, shake it, baby
He's the shaker, baby
Don't go vacant, baby
He's the shaker, baby
He's the shaker, baby
I can't stand the rain, I don't like it at all
Lyrics submitted by rhythmsuicide
The Leanover Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Are these the official lyrics? Otherwise, I hear some different lyrics:
Sounds to me like the lyrics are running in reverse, starting with the relationship that's fallen apart, and winding back the clock to reveal previous stages in the relationship. Starts with "if i lose you in the street", the fear that it's over. Moves backward into a fight "wassup with your friends?", then back into the spawning of doubt: "raining in my room, sweet and sleepy/keep us together". Moves back again into some sweeter, personal relationship references: "forever you can be me, swim". Toward the end we have "contact", possibly the lovers' first contact.
I would agree with startingfromrocks comment about all the music references. In my interpretation they fit in with the soundtrack running through the relationship, mixtapes, songs that mean something to the lovers etc.