"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.
When the red light comes on I transform!
When the red light comes on I transform!
Look in my eyes covered in Maybeline
Looking like something fresh out of a magazine
I can be part of your deepest fantasies
You're the detective
Come solve my mystery
Some say that love,is all that I'm missing
Some call it Jezebel
I call it attention
But what they don't know
They can't even imagine
Say I don't have self-esteem
But its my passion
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
I can be your addiction if you wanna
Get hooked on me
I, I can be your addiction if you wanna
Get hooked on me
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
Something about me has got you hypnotized
Examine my body like you're the science guy
Watching my every move, you anticipate
What you're thinking about boy, I can re-create
Some say that love, is all that I'm missing
Some call me Jezebel
Call it attention
But what they don't know
They can't even imagine
Say I don't have self-esteem
But its my passion
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
I hope you looking for a
B-A-D C-H-I-C
Looking so sexy
Make 'em pay me
She not me, cause there just one me
I'm the M to the I double S, Y, E
When the lights come on I tran-transform
Gimme that, baby come, come on!
I could do it all night to the break of dawn
On, on, and on
I keep on going
They call me a Jezebel
'Cause I freaks, I does it well
Got extensions in my hair
Bad girls, is ya'll up in hurr
Tonight we gon' just let it do what it do
I can flip this pretty young thing on you
I ain't looking for attention I just want you
Lemme be your addiction, I can be that too
I can be your addiction if you wanna get hooked on me
I, I can be your addiction if you wanna get hooked on me
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
From a caterpillar to a butterfly
I know I got something that you gonna like
Don't be afraid I won't let you down
I'm the one that'll make you come around
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
I can be your addiction if you wanna
Get hooked on me
I, I can be your addiction if you wanna
Get hooked on me
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform!
Look in my eyes covered in Maybeline
Looking like something fresh out of a magazine
I can be part of your deepest fantasies
You're the detective
Come solve my mystery
Some say that love,is all that I'm missing
Some call it Jezebel
I call it attention
But what they don't know
They can't even imagine
Say I don't have self-esteem
But its my passion
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
I can be your addiction if you wanna
Get hooked on me
I, I can be your addiction if you wanna
Get hooked on me
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
Something about me has got you hypnotized
Examine my body like you're the science guy
Watching my every move, you anticipate
What you're thinking about boy, I can re-create
Some say that love, is all that I'm missing
Some call me Jezebel
Call it attention
But what they don't know
They can't even imagine
Say I don't have self-esteem
But its my passion
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
I hope you looking for a
B-A-D C-H-I-C
Looking so sexy
Make 'em pay me
She not me, cause there just one me
I'm the M to the I double S, Y, E
When the lights come on I tran-transform
Gimme that, baby come, come on!
I could do it all night to the break of dawn
On, on, and on
I keep on going
They call me a Jezebel
'Cause I freaks, I does it well
Got extensions in my hair
Bad girls, is ya'll up in hurr
Tonight we gon' just let it do what it do
I can flip this pretty young thing on you
I ain't looking for attention I just want you
Lemme be your addiction, I can be that too
I can be your addiction if you wanna get hooked on me
I, I can be your addiction if you wanna get hooked on me
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
From a caterpillar to a butterfly
I know I got something that you gonna like
Don't be afraid I won't let you down
I'm the one that'll make you come around
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
I can be your addiction if you wanna
Get hooked on me
I, I can be your addiction if you wanna
Get hooked on me
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl)
Maybe I'm just a (bad girl, a bad girl)
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
When the red light comes on I transform
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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."
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.
this song to me means when the "red light" comes on, you transform into a bad chick. This song is a good one. kinda annoying, but nontheless, good.
it's about looking like a good girl who can turn into a bad girl.
I'm really surprised that DK would have this song as a single. To the casual listener, it would just seem like they're singing about being a playful bad girl. However, the lyrics in this song make it seem like they're singing about prostitution.
"When the red light comes on I transform!" -prostitutes are often called "Red Light girls"
"eyes covered in Maybeline" + "part of your deepest fantasies" -In the first verse, references are made to how prostitutes wear too much makeup, and how they are willing to do lewd acts for money.
"Some say that love,is all that I’m missing" + "Say I don’t have self-esteem" -Not being loved and low Self-Esteem are reasons why some speculate that some people become prostitutes.
The rest of the song references prostitution as well, especially the explicit version of Missy's verse.
I could be completely wrong, but this song seems more erotic than meets the eye.
Yes I thought that when I first heard it. But non the less whatever the actual meaning of the song may be its still a great tune!