"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.
My legs are weary
But I still walk
My hands are sore and broken
But I still clutch
My heart is
But I still love
My cup is empty
But I still pour
All I ever wanna be
All I ever needed to be
Was whatever you wanted me to
But you took that from me
Yeah
[Chorus]
I was never enough for you
I should have known
I should have known
I was never enough for you
Don't waste my time
Don't waste my
I lost the feeling
But I still touch
I stopped believing
But I still trust
All I ever wanna be
All I ever needed to be
Was whatever you wanted me to
But you took that from me
Yeah
[Chorus]
All these questions
Ask me why
I'll just close my eyes
(my eyes!)
Always people asking why
I'll just wave goodbye
(goodbye)
Time
Pushing forward
I'm sick and tired
Need a little shelter
Drag the glass across my eyes
Cut me open
Cut me wide
Screaming for the winner
(just to the winner)
[Chorus x2]
Don't waste my
But I still walk
My hands are sore and broken
But I still clutch
My heart is
But I still love
My cup is empty
But I still pour
All I ever wanna be
All I ever needed to be
Was whatever you wanted me to
But you took that from me
Yeah
[Chorus]
I was never enough for you
I should have known
I should have known
I was never enough for you
Don't waste my time
Don't waste my
I lost the feeling
But I still touch
I stopped believing
But I still trust
All I ever wanna be
All I ever needed to be
Was whatever you wanted me to
But you took that from me
Yeah
[Chorus]
All these questions
Ask me why
I'll just close my eyes
(my eyes!)
Always people asking why
I'll just wave goodbye
(goodbye)
Time
Pushing forward
I'm sick and tired
Need a little shelter
Drag the glass across my eyes
Cut me open
Cut me wide
Screaming for the winner
(just to the winner)
[Chorus x2]
Don't waste my
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
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.
Eh. I think it could handle some correction.
My legs are weary, but I still walk, My hands are sore and broken but I still clutch, My heart is jaded but I still love, My cup is empty but I still pour, All I ever want to be, All I ever need to be, Was whatever you wanted me to, But you took that from me, yeah
I was never enough for you, I should have known, I shoulda known. I was never enough for you, Don't waste my time, Don't waste my...
I lost the feeling, but I still touch I stopped believing but I still trust All I ever want to be, All I ever need to be, Was whatever you wanted me to, But you took that from me, yeah
I was never enough for you, I should have known, I shoulda known. I was never enough for you, Don't waste my time
All these questions, asking why I'll just close my eyes...(My eyes) Always people, asking why I'll just wave goodbye...(Goodbye)
Time, pushing forward I'm sick and tired Need a little shelter Drag the glass across my eyes Cut me open, gut me wide Bleed me for the winner Toast to the winner...
I was never enough for you, I should have known, I shoulda known. I was never enough for you, Don't waste my time... I was never enough for you, Just wasting time, Don't waste mine.
Not too much different. I used to listen to this song every day. It means a lot to me. Possibly the best-fitting song on the planet as to how I feel, it's only suiting that my favorite band would write it.