"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.
It’s gonna be a good year for fashion
It’s gonna be a good year for the arts
People working together
Doing what they do
People working together for the good
It’s gonna be a good year for cooking
It’s gonna be a good year for getting things done
Just keep track of your fire fives
East meets West underneath the blue skies
As we fly together as one
Beautiful dandelion
Becomes a part of the machine
as we’re walking down the street
And we don’t know what we mean
When we say consumerism leads to hunger, poverty & greed
From the products to the seeds
(Do It) Beautiful dandelion
It’s gonna be a good year for traveling
It’s gonna be a good year for gettin’ around
Just make sure the right truck is maintained
Driving technique is the difference that you make
When the numbers and ideas that relate
To a barbecued pig on your plate
Call it burger, call it steak
Becomes the product that is meant
for the 99%
Who say it’s more profitable to cause disease
Let’s fix it, that’s what we meant
(Do It) Beautiful dandelion
(Do It) Beautiful dandelion
It’s gonna be a good year for the arts
People working together
Doing what they do
People working together for the good
It’s gonna be a good year for cooking
It’s gonna be a good year for getting things done
Just keep track of your fire fives
East meets West underneath the blue skies
As we fly together as one
Beautiful dandelion
Becomes a part of the machine
as we’re walking down the street
And we don’t know what we mean
When we say consumerism leads to hunger, poverty & greed
From the products to the seeds
(Do It) Beautiful dandelion
It’s gonna be a good year for traveling
It’s gonna be a good year for gettin’ around
Just make sure the right truck is maintained
Driving technique is the difference that you make
When the numbers and ideas that relate
To a barbecued pig on your plate
Call it burger, call it steak
Becomes the product that is meant
for the 99%
Who say it’s more profitable to cause disease
Let’s fix it, that’s what we meant
(Do It) Beautiful dandelion
(Do It) Beautiful dandelion
Lyrics submitted by melodymaker
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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.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
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/