"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.
Life is sweet.
And given the chance I might agree.
The sight of the sound around the
hemisphere withdrawing.
Images are calling me to sleep.
You foresaw this bizarre according of an enterprise
Falling all around you.
Ashes on your sweatsuit.
Who. Is. It.
Across the ocean
beneath the sea.
Stepping on everyone like a big booted bully.
You're terrorizing the playground.
You make a big joke at their expense.
Nobodies gonna come
running to the crime scene
to clean up all the junk you laid.
Who. Is. It.
And you said it was the only way.
And as always I disagree.
Now your walls are breaking
And your bones are shaking my teeth.
Bring the boys home safe
At the end of the day.
I think it's easier said then done.
What do you get
When give?
What do you gain?
Here we go.
You revert your soul.
Oh here we go.
You revert your soul
I know
I know
I know.
And given the chance I might agree.
The sight of the sound around the
hemisphere withdrawing.
Images are calling me to sleep.
You foresaw this bizarre according of an enterprise
Falling all around you.
Ashes on your sweatsuit.
Who. Is. It.
Across the ocean
beneath the sea.
Stepping on everyone like a big booted bully.
You're terrorizing the playground.
You make a big joke at their expense.
Nobodies gonna come
running to the crime scene
to clean up all the junk you laid.
Who. Is. It.
And you said it was the only way.
And as always I disagree.
Now your walls are breaking
And your bones are shaking my teeth.
Bring the boys home safe
At the end of the day.
I think it's easier said then done.
What do you get
When give?
What do you gain?
Here we go.
You revert your soul.
Oh here we go.
You revert your soul
I know
I know
I know.
Lyrics submitted by Brievilone
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
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.
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.
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.
NO COMMENTS ON THIS SONG YET?! the first time i heard this song i seriously fell in love. a lot of isolated images here. and it's hard to grasp... but i still find myself putting it all over away messages.
For some reason I keep on thinking this song is more specifically refering to George Bush:
"Stepping on everyone like a big booted bully. You're terrorizing the playground. You make a big joke at their expense."
The war, and the chaos of mess we're in. How all we really want is for the soldiers to come home but "it's easier said than done."