"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.
I don't like to see all the tears you're crying
oh cause that's when my heart starts dying
I know I'm not the kind of man you want me to be
but I try to make you happy
cause what you're seeing here is real
an all the feelings I feel
oh we a family, we've got to stay together
so don't cry, what a time it was
cause I dont' like to see all the tears you're crying
cause that's when my heart starts dying
oh baby, don't wanna see you crying, oh no
You make me do wrong, you make me do right
I'm going astray, I've got to see the light
when my mind is right and I gives di time an my heart just
won't let go
cause everyday I know I love you so
Sorry for the pain I cause
tryin ta live up to certain kind of laws, yea
tryin ta centralize your love, but it's so hard to do
when all these feelings keep coming back to you, yeah
and you cry...
I dont' like to see all the tears you're crying
cause that's when my heart starts dying
when you're crying, oh baby
I'm so sorry, I never meant to make you blue, oh no
sorry for the pains I caused
Trying to be kind, trying to be true
but no matter what I do I'm still hurting you
all I want is good but it seems too much, oh baby
I'm getting out of touch, and den you cry...
I dont' like to see all the tears you're crying
cause that's when my heart starts dying
oh cause that's when my heart starts dying
I know I'm not the kind of man you want me to be
but I try to make you happy
cause what you're seeing here is real
an all the feelings I feel
oh we a family, we've got to stay together
so don't cry, what a time it was
cause I dont' like to see all the tears you're crying
cause that's when my heart starts dying
oh baby, don't wanna see you crying, oh no
You make me do wrong, you make me do right
I'm going astray, I've got to see the light
when my mind is right and I gives di time an my heart just
won't let go
cause everyday I know I love you so
Sorry for the pain I cause
tryin ta live up to certain kind of laws, yea
tryin ta centralize your love, but it's so hard to do
when all these feelings keep coming back to you, yeah
and you cry...
I dont' like to see all the tears you're crying
cause that's when my heart starts dying
when you're crying, oh baby
I'm so sorry, I never meant to make you blue, oh no
sorry for the pains I caused
Trying to be kind, trying to be true
but no matter what I do I'm still hurting you
all I want is good but it seems too much, oh baby
I'm getting out of touch, and den you cry...
I dont' like to see all the tears you're crying
cause that's when my heart starts dying
Lyrics submitted by convince
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.