"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.
Death-has come to you
Nothing left to do
Fire - coming at you from all ways
Burned - still alive
Screaming silent cries
Crawling - out to see your fallen world
Flames - fill the sky
Everything will die
The burner - of all worlds has come to you
Gone - nothing gained
Nothing is the same
Failed - burning your flesh where you lie
Now say your prayers
Now is your time to atone
This is your last day
And you will die all alone
Take your last breath
Burning as your lungs explode
The deadly flash
Melting both your eyes away
Burning all your lives away
Burning all your cries away
Burning all your minds away
Burning all your eyes away
Death not dignified
Burning all your lives away
Death not dignified
Burning all your cries away
Death not dignified
Burning all you minds away
Death not dignified
Burning all your eyes away
Scourging the earth to rebuild it for only me
Reface the world to do just as I please with it
The burner set to destroy just what I see in you
The burner sent has erased what I hate in you
The sky black for all time
Now - nothing will exist again
Barren, void, of all life
Empty - now until eternity
Sky is black for all time
Now - nothing will exist again
Barren, void, no more life
Empty - now unto infinity
Nothing left to do
Fire - coming at you from all ways
Burned - still alive
Screaming silent cries
Crawling - out to see your fallen world
Flames - fill the sky
Everything will die
The burner - of all worlds has come to you
Gone - nothing gained
Nothing is the same
Failed - burning your flesh where you lie
Now say your prayers
Now is your time to atone
This is your last day
And you will die all alone
Take your last breath
Burning as your lungs explode
The deadly flash
Melting both your eyes away
Burning all your lives away
Burning all your cries away
Burning all your minds away
Burning all your eyes away
Death not dignified
Burning all your lives away
Death not dignified
Burning all your cries away
Death not dignified
Burning all you minds away
Death not dignified
Burning all your eyes away
Scourging the earth to rebuild it for only me
Reface the world to do just as I please with it
The burner set to destroy just what I see in you
The burner sent has erased what I hate in you
The sky black for all time
Now - nothing will exist again
Barren, void, of all life
Empty - now until eternity
Sky is black for all time
Now - nothing will exist again
Barren, void, no more life
Empty - now unto infinity
Lyrics submitted by DreamingInTheÆther
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
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Kinda very misanthropic song.
Scourging the earth to rebuild it for only me Reface the world to do just as I please with it The burner set to destroy just what I see in you The burner sent has erased what I hate in you