"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.
Farewell, this blackened eye
You learned your lessons falling down
Far behind and tracing footsteps home
Despite your lack of pride
You wore your imperfections well
Dignified, spend your time alone
Trace your footsteps home
Your hands are always reaching out of favor
Your kind are only good for bad behavior
Your mouth was never one to trust
You're always speaking out, falling far behind
Falling out of line
Farewell, this bitter tongue
You spoke your lessons falling down
Talking out and breaking silence
Despite the harm you've done
You swallowed your rejection well
Amplified, sing your song alone
Trace your footsteps home
Your hands are always reaching out of favor
Your kind are only good for bad behavior
Your mouth was never one to trust
You're always speaking out, falling far behind
Falling
Swallow time, falling down
Speaking out, falling far behind
Your time running out and talking down
Falling out of line
Your hands are always reaching out of favor
Your kind are only good for bad behavior
Your mouth was never one to trust
You're always speaking out, falling far behind
Falling out of line
You learned your lessons falling down
Far behind and tracing footsteps home
Despite your lack of pride
You wore your imperfections well
Dignified, spend your time alone
Trace your footsteps home
Your hands are always reaching out of favor
Your kind are only good for bad behavior
Your mouth was never one to trust
You're always speaking out, falling far behind
Falling out of line
Farewell, this bitter tongue
You spoke your lessons falling down
Talking out and breaking silence
Despite the harm you've done
You swallowed your rejection well
Amplified, sing your song alone
Trace your footsteps home
Your hands are always reaching out of favor
Your kind are only good for bad behavior
Your mouth was never one to trust
You're always speaking out, falling far behind
Falling
Swallow time, falling down
Speaking out, falling far behind
Your time running out and talking down
Falling out of line
Your hands are always reaching out of favor
Your kind are only good for bad behavior
Your mouth was never one to trust
You're always speaking out, falling far behind
Falling out of line
Lyrics submitted by torturedsoul
Falling Down Lyrics as written by Michael Hanmer Matthew O'halloran
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
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”
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
I love this song. It's so good! Um..I think it might be about a person who was in a bad relationship or something and now they're leaving it all behind. Or rather, they're still moving at their own speed (metaphorically) while the other is "falling far behind". While they keep moving on, the other will always be "falling down".