"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 seen her on the stage, at the club with her girlfriend
Dancin? to ____, yeah she got that body workin?
Had to approach that, had to get to know that
Ask her ?Do you like the song? Yeah, I co-wrote that.?
Now she in the VIP spillin? Bombay
Up against the back wall grindin? on me
She talkin? to me dirty, all up in my ear
I turned around and that damn girl disappeared
And like that, she was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that she was gone
She was gone
Shoplifta
Yeah, she stealin? from my heart
Shoplifta
Like a thief in the dark
Off the Richter
Her body-body go hard
Shoplifta, shoplifta
Sound the alarm, better call for backup
We gon? bank like a Don, watch that money stack up
That girl broke every law, and she don?t give a fuck
Shoplifta, baby I could getcha
Man I can?t believe how she tease me
Got my mind on repeats that her and that girl was sayin? that they wanna see me, believe me
Had me on brick mode, I turn around, man, where did this chick go?
And like that, she was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that she was gone
She was gone
Shoplifta
Yeah, she stealin? from my heart
Shoplifta
Like a thief in the dark
Off the Richter
Her body-body go hard
Shoplifta, shoplifta
[x2]
Yeah, she?s attentive for sure, but she?s outta control
Repeat offender, kleptomaniac on the go
Yeah, she?s done it before, makin? a sport of it
She?s down to victimizin?, paralyzed thinkin? of her
And uh,
She lookin? innocent, I?m lookin? hella burned
Got me trippin? how the hell?d the tables get turned?
She?s a flirt, tell the DJ to sound the alert
Shoplifta out the door in some heels and a skirt
And like that, she was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that she was gone
She was gone
Shoplifta
Yeah, she stealin' from my heart
Shoplifta
Like a thief in the dark
Off the Richter
Her body-body go hard
Shoplifta, shoplifta
Shoplifta
Shoplifta
Off the Richter
And like that, she was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that she was gone
She was gone
Shoplifta
Yeah, she stealin' from my heart
Shoplifta
Like a thief in the dark
Off the Richter
Her body-body go hard
Shoplifta, shoplifta
Dancin? to ____, yeah she got that body workin?
Had to approach that, had to get to know that
Ask her ?Do you like the song? Yeah, I co-wrote that.?
Now she in the VIP spillin? Bombay
Up against the back wall grindin? on me
She talkin? to me dirty, all up in my ear
I turned around and that damn girl disappeared
And like that, she was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that she was gone
She was gone
Shoplifta
Yeah, she stealin? from my heart
Shoplifta
Like a thief in the dark
Off the Richter
Her body-body go hard
Shoplifta, shoplifta
Sound the alarm, better call for backup
We gon? bank like a Don, watch that money stack up
That girl broke every law, and she don?t give a fuck
Shoplifta, baby I could getcha
Man I can?t believe how she tease me
Got my mind on repeats that her and that girl was sayin? that they wanna see me, believe me
Had me on brick mode, I turn around, man, where did this chick go?
And like that, she was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that she was gone
She was gone
Shoplifta
Yeah, she stealin? from my heart
Shoplifta
Like a thief in the dark
Off the Richter
Her body-body go hard
Shoplifta, shoplifta
[x2]
Yeah, she?s attentive for sure, but she?s outta control
Repeat offender, kleptomaniac on the go
Yeah, she?s done it before, makin? a sport of it
She?s down to victimizin?, paralyzed thinkin? of her
And uh,
She lookin? innocent, I?m lookin? hella burned
Got me trippin? how the hell?d the tables get turned?
She?s a flirt, tell the DJ to sound the alert
Shoplifta out the door in some heels and a skirt
And like that, she was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that she was gone
She was gone
Shoplifta
Yeah, she stealin' from my heart
Shoplifta
Like a thief in the dark
Off the Richter
Her body-body go hard
Shoplifta, shoplifta
Shoplifta
Shoplifta
Off the Richter
And like that, she was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that
She was gone, gone, like that she was gone
She was gone
Shoplifta
Yeah, she stealin' from my heart
Shoplifta
Like a thief in the dark
Off the Richter
Her body-body go hard
Shoplifta, shoplifta
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More Featured Meanings
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
This song is sick as fuck, props to this band, hope it keeps making good songs like this.
Basically its about getting played by a sexy lady, in case it wasn't obvious.