"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.
Let me show you
Let me show you the way to go
I don't know everything
But there's something I do know
(I know, I know)
I've read and heard a lot
And now I'm ready to show
That we can come together
And think like one
Come together now
Live together underneath the sun
Please, please let me show you
Let me show you
Let me show you the way to go
Follow me, my friend
Let me show you, come on
Let me show you the way to go
Just put your trust in me
I'll try not to let you down
(Let you down, let you down)
The job is hard to do
But only we can wear the crown
'Cause we can help each other to overcome
We can do it
We can do it now
Rejoice everybody
And get the job done
Please, please, please
Just let me show you
Let me show you
Let me show you the way to go
Follow me my friend, hey, hey
Let me show you
Let me show you the way to go
Please follow me, now
That we can help each other to overcome
We can do it
We can do it, now
Live together underneath the sun
Please, please, please
Just let me show you
Let me show you
Let me show you the way to go
I swear I'll never let you down
(Let me show you)
Come on
(Let me show you the way to go)
We can do it, we can do it
We can do it, now
(Let me show you)
(Let me show you the way to go)
Let me, let me, let me
Just let me, let me show you, now
(Let me show you)
Come on
(Let me show you the way to go)
(Follow me, follow me)
(Let me show you)
(Let me show you the way to go)
I swear
I'll never let you down
Come on
Come on
Let me, let me, let me show you
Let me, let me, let me, let me show you
Let me show you
Never let you down
Never let you down
Put your hand in mine
We can do it, we can do it
We can work it out
And get on top
Let me show you
Let me show you
Let me show you
Let me, let me, let me
Let me, let me, let me show you
Let me show you the way to go
I don't know everything
But there's something I do know
(I know, I know)
I've read and heard a lot
And now I'm ready to show
That we can come together
And think like one
Come together now
Live together underneath the sun
Please, please let me show you
Let me show you
Let me show you the way to go
Follow me, my friend
Let me show you, come on
Let me show you the way to go
Just put your trust in me
I'll try not to let you down
(Let you down, let you down)
The job is hard to do
But only we can wear the crown
'Cause we can help each other to overcome
We can do it
We can do it now
Rejoice everybody
And get the job done
Please, please, please
Just let me show you
Let me show you
Let me show you the way to go
Follow me my friend, hey, hey
Let me show you
Let me show you the way to go
Please follow me, now
That we can help each other to overcome
We can do it
We can do it, now
Live together underneath the sun
Please, please, please
Just let me show you
Let me show you
Let me show you the way to go
I swear I'll never let you down
(Let me show you)
Come on
(Let me show you the way to go)
We can do it, we can do it
We can do it, now
(Let me show you)
(Let me show you the way to go)
Let me, let me, let me
Just let me, let me show you, now
(Let me show you)
Come on
(Let me show you the way to go)
(Follow me, follow me)
(Let me show you)
(Let me show you the way to go)
I swear
I'll never let you down
Come on
Come on
Let me, let me, let me show you
Let me, let me, let me, let me show you
Let me show you
Never let you down
Never let you down
Put your hand in mine
We can do it, we can do it
We can work it out
And get on top
Let me show you
Let me show you
Let me show you
Let me, let me, let me
Let me, let me, let me show you
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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
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
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.
What I love about this song is that it showcases Michael Jackson's voice at its most pleasing--a young man's voice, not a child's, smooth but with an appealing little quaver here and there. If only Michael had stuck with his natural voice (which probably would have deepened a bit with age but remained melodic and flexible) instead of trying to keep it artificially high.
I also like the slick production that makes the vocals and background ride down like French silk. The whole thing just makes a very enjoyable package.
I've tried to change one lyric without success yet. At the end of the verse which starts, 'Just put your trust in me', he later says, not 'but only we can work this out' - he actually says, 'but only we can wear the crown' which is what is sounds like and rhymes with the earlier word 'down'. Plus in at least two videos I have seen, he taps his head upon saying the word 'crown'.