"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.
I don't wanna feel like I don't have a future
I don't wanna feel like it's an end of a summer
Let's not fall back to sleep like we used to
I don't wanna wake up knowing I don't have a future
(Impossible, impossible)
Impossible, your love is something I cannot remember
I don't wanna spend another day in this city
I woke up thirsty, it's hard to go back, you know
Let's not fall back to sleep like we used to, do you remember?
I don't wanna wake up knowing I don't have a future
And I know it's
(Impossible, impossible)
Impossible, your love is something I cannot remember
And there's a first time and a second time, you gotta hold on
Did you know it could happen to you?
Your love is something I cannot remember
I don't wanna see the same pictures all over
And I've been standing on the same spot now since it's been over
'Cause someone promised me a new chance, yes, you promised
I don't wanna wake up knowing I don't have a future
And I know it's
(Impossible, impossible)
Impossible, your love is something I cannot remember
Now there's a first time and a second time, you gotta hold on
Did you know it could happen to you?
Your love is something I cannot remember
Your love is impossible
Impossible, impossible
Impossible, impossible
Impossible, impossible
Impossible, impossible
You are just like your mother, I'm just as same as the others
Do you believe everything they write in all those magazines?
Stay out of love until you're ready, stay out of it 'cause it scares you
You'll still find your love outside the public library
I know it could happen to you
I know it could happen to you
I know it could happen to you
I know, did you? It could happen to you
I know it could happen to you
I know it could happen to you
And I know it's
(Impossible, impossible)
Impossible, your love is something I cannot remember
Now there's a first time and a second time, you gotta hold on
Did you know it could happen to you?
Your love is something I cannot remember
Your love is impossible
(Impossible, impossible)
It's impossible
(Impossible, impossible)
There's a first time and a second time, you gotta hold on
First time and second time
There's a first time and second time
(Impossible, impossible)
Impossible
I don't wanna feel like it's an end of a summer
Let's not fall back to sleep like we used to
I don't wanna wake up knowing I don't have a future
(Impossible, impossible)
Impossible, your love is something I cannot remember
I don't wanna spend another day in this city
I woke up thirsty, it's hard to go back, you know
Let's not fall back to sleep like we used to, do you remember?
I don't wanna wake up knowing I don't have a future
And I know it's
(Impossible, impossible)
Impossible, your love is something I cannot remember
And there's a first time and a second time, you gotta hold on
Did you know it could happen to you?
Your love is something I cannot remember
I don't wanna see the same pictures all over
And I've been standing on the same spot now since it's been over
'Cause someone promised me a new chance, yes, you promised
I don't wanna wake up knowing I don't have a future
And I know it's
(Impossible, impossible)
Impossible, your love is something I cannot remember
Now there's a first time and a second time, you gotta hold on
Did you know it could happen to you?
Your love is something I cannot remember
Your love is impossible
Impossible, impossible
Impossible, impossible
Impossible, impossible
Impossible, impossible
You are just like your mother, I'm just as same as the others
Do you believe everything they write in all those magazines?
Stay out of love until you're ready, stay out of it 'cause it scares you
You'll still find your love outside the public library
I know it could happen to you
I know it could happen to you
I know it could happen to you
I know, did you? It could happen to you
I know it could happen to you
I know it could happen to you
And I know it's
(Impossible, impossible)
Impossible, your love is something I cannot remember
Now there's a first time and a second time, you gotta hold on
Did you know it could happen to you?
Your love is something I cannot remember
Your love is impossible
(Impossible, impossible)
It's impossible
(Impossible, impossible)
There's a first time and a second time, you gotta hold on
First time and second time
There's a first time and second time
(Impossible, impossible)
Impossible
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
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,
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.
The impression I got from this song is a little different from most.
I makes me think of a guy who got a girl pregnant and now is denying ever loving/making love to her.( your love is something I cannot remember)
You find your love outside the public library could be an insult to call her like, she just sleeps with random people
"I don't want to feel like I dont have a future." Self explainitory having a child could ruin his life, thus he has no future.
"Did you know it could happen to you?" I think is a warning to the listener, all this could happen to you.