"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.
There's a warm wind blowin' over from the west again today
With it comes that message sent from so far away
Drags that longing feeling from my heart down to my sleeve
Tells me that it's been too long and it's been time to leave
So I bought a pickup truck with three shades of orange
And two shades of rusted blue
Went down to pick up my last paycheck from my boss
And I told him what he could do
I rode down to my mama said mama my time has come to ride
She said boy don't let the screen door slam your ass on the way outside
Now I'm goin' to the country for while
Goin' where they speak in terms of country miles
Goin' to the country was there something I should know before I go
A sweet hitchhiker stopped me on this olden country road
She hopped into my pickup in her cutoff jeans and she so kindly said hello
Her blue eyes smiled as she said my destination is unknown
She said she left her city standing only days ago
just to call the world her home
And then she turned up my radio
I said we're goin' to the country for while
We're goin' where the grass is green and the people always smile
Goin' to the coutnry was there something I should know before I go
Life was ordinary boring lame
All my dreams held captive on that ratrace of a cage
Sweet the sound surrender to my ears
The winds of change have blown them all away
just for today
I'm goin' to the country for a while
I'm goin' where they speak in terms of corn and country miles
Me and my baby we're goin' to the country
Because the earth is getting deep fried country style
Me and my baby we're goin to the country
Packin' our bags ain't comin' home
Now we're goin' to the country was there somethin' I should know
Somethin' I should know
With it comes that message sent from so far away
Drags that longing feeling from my heart down to my sleeve
Tells me that it's been too long and it's been time to leave
So I bought a pickup truck with three shades of orange
And two shades of rusted blue
Went down to pick up my last paycheck from my boss
And I told him what he could do
I rode down to my mama said mama my time has come to ride
She said boy don't let the screen door slam your ass on the way outside
Now I'm goin' to the country for while
Goin' where they speak in terms of country miles
Goin' to the country was there something I should know before I go
A sweet hitchhiker stopped me on this olden country road
She hopped into my pickup in her cutoff jeans and she so kindly said hello
Her blue eyes smiled as she said my destination is unknown
She said she left her city standing only days ago
just to call the world her home
And then she turned up my radio
I said we're goin' to the country for while
We're goin' where the grass is green and the people always smile
Goin' to the coutnry was there something I should know before I go
Life was ordinary boring lame
All my dreams held captive on that ratrace of a cage
Sweet the sound surrender to my ears
The winds of change have blown them all away
just for today
I'm goin' to the country for a while
I'm goin' where they speak in terms of corn and country miles
Me and my baby we're goin' to the country
Because the earth is getting deep fried country style
Me and my baby we're goin to the country
Packin' our bags ain't comin' home
Now we're goin' to the country was there somethin' I should know
Somethin' I should know
Lyrics submitted by killtheradiostar
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
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.