"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.
Please could you not step on my DUNKS?
…Don’t get dirt on my DUNKS
They make me dizzy from the back to the front.
I haven’t took them off ONCE,
And I’ve been cleaning them for MONTHS
I’m in love with my white… NIKE DUNKS
He likes to buy his clothes from these designer shops,
Www. I really don’t give a fuck .com
He’s the boy that likes to stop mid-strut
Just to check that the white on his shoes is still showing up
He’s one sick-pup his fashion sucks
And the boy seems to always make me throw up,
‘I can’t believe you just did that!’ I can’t believe how stuck,
In a time warp this boy seems to be, it’s only a matter of time till he,
Stops fretting about his trainers, and wakes up and sees…
Why can’t you just take some interest, in me for once?
I think you’re being ridiculous, with those white nike…
Chorus
He bought new jeans and for ‘the look’ he ripped’em
Get me a weapon and I’ll show you a fashion victim
Ch-ch-ch-check out his labels… they ma-ma-make me unstable
If you r-r-ripped out his labels he’d be unable
To move BITCH move BITCH, get out of my sight BITCH
I’ll ITCH, …I dunno if you’ve heard of this…
‘I’m the boy that likes to clean my shoes for months,
You’re just jealous of my white… NIKE DUNKS!’
Please could you shut up about dunks?
…I don’t care about dunks
They make me sick from the back to the front.
You haven’t took them off once,
And you’ve been cleaning them for months
I don’t care about your white… Nike dunks.
…Don’t get dirt on my DUNKS
They make me dizzy from the back to the front.
I haven’t took them off ONCE,
And I’ve been cleaning them for MONTHS
I’m in love with my white… NIKE DUNKS
He likes to buy his clothes from these designer shops,
Www. I really don’t give a fuck .com
He’s the boy that likes to stop mid-strut
Just to check that the white on his shoes is still showing up
He’s one sick-pup his fashion sucks
And the boy seems to always make me throw up,
‘I can’t believe you just did that!’ I can’t believe how stuck,
In a time warp this boy seems to be, it’s only a matter of time till he,
Stops fretting about his trainers, and wakes up and sees…
Why can’t you just take some interest, in me for once?
I think you’re being ridiculous, with those white nike…
Chorus
He bought new jeans and for ‘the look’ he ripped’em
Get me a weapon and I’ll show you a fashion victim
Ch-ch-ch-check out his labels… they ma-ma-make me unstable
If you r-r-ripped out his labels he’d be unable
To move BITCH move BITCH, get out of my sight BITCH
I’ll ITCH, …I dunno if you’ve heard of this…
‘I’m the boy that likes to clean my shoes for months,
You’re just jealous of my white… NIKE DUNKS!’
Please could you shut up about dunks?
…I don’t care about dunks
They make me sick from the back to the front.
You haven’t took them off once,
And you’ve been cleaning them for months
I don’t care about your white… Nike dunks.
Lyrics submitted by bluest_light
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
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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,
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.
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.
*vacuous